The Pact
by purpleheart10
Summary: Carly and Freddie make a pact that when they're both still single when Carly reaches 26, they're going to marry each other. CREDDIE. A multi-chapter story.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ICARLY**

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**CARLY'S POV**

"I hate him! I hate him!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I entered our apartment. I slammed the door behind me as hard as I could to make a statement before flopping myself on the couch, and throwing my bag full of school things on the floor.

I didn't even notice that Spencer was inside our apartment, working on some random sculpture. I could tell he was startled by my behavior and I braced myself for the incoming questions he was gonna throw at me.

"What happened?" he asked softly, wiping the paint off his hands.

I pretended not to hear his question and just grabbed the remote control resting on top of the coffee table. I started pushing some random buttons furiously that it almost hurt my thumb.

"Carly?" he repeated.

"Ryan's a jerk! That's my problem! He's a jerk!" I emphasized.

I heard my brother sigh. "Let me guess..." he paused, "Ryan dumped you."

What? He thought he dumped me? Great! The last thing I needed was someone telling me that I've been dumped again. "He didn't dump me!"

"Then, you're still together?"

"No!"

Spencer shook his head. "That's not confusing at all."

"You don't have any idea, do you?" I asked him.

"Nope." He admitted.

"I dumped him!"

"Oh." I watched Spencer drop the towel on the table and sit right beside me. "Okay. Tell me what happened."

"I caught him kissing Rona!" I whined. "I caught them kissing with my own two eyes and when I confronted him, he still has the nerve to deny it! Jerk!"

"Carls…" he took a deep breath. "You see…"

I waited patiently for something helpful my brother had to say. Spencer was absolutely the best when it comes to giving advices but this one thing wasn't his specialty. He was never any good in giving me lectures about love. Almost all the time, he would just keep quiet and listen to me because he himself wasn't blessed in this one aspect of life. Sometimes, I even thought that maybe we were cursed.

"You know little sister... Boys are... Boys." I stared blankly at him.

"That doesn't make any sense." I commented.

"You know I'm not good at this. But Carly... I don't know what you like about those boys you date. I mean, there are a lot of better guys for you out there. You know, someone who will always be there for you, someone who will never hurt you, someone like..."

"Like?"

"Ahhhh! Hide me!"

Spencer didn't have the chance to continue what he was saying when someone barge in through the door. Such wrong timing. Spencer was actually saying something that made sense. We both turned our heads to see who it was.

"Freddie?"

"What's wrong Freddo?" Spencer asked. We both looked at Freddie as he locked our door quickly with his trembling hands.

Freddie put his index finger on his lips, a gesture telling us to keep quiet. Spencer literally zipped his lips and I kept my mouth shut as we waited for something we all expected.

Mrs. Benson knocked violently on the door as she called all our names. "Spencer? Carly? Are you home? Is Freddie there? We're gonna be late!"

Spencer was about to answer her when Freddie glared at him. A few more knocks and shouts, and we eventually heard her footsteps away from the apartment. Freddie took a deep breath and sat between me and Spencer.

"Late for what?" I asked him.

"My mom signed us up for mother-and-son ballet class." He said glumly.

Spencer and I laughed.

"Yeah. If you think that's funny, then it's nothing compared to what she wants me to wear."

"What does she want you to wear?" Spencer asked him and I waited for his answer too.

"Leotards!" he answered sharply.

"Leotards?" I tried my best not to laugh.

"Pink!"

Hearing that, Spencer and I laughed so hard that I almost forgot everything I was feeling before Freddie came in.

"Say Freddo… Are you doing something now?" Spencer stood up and asked him.

Freddie shook his head. "No. Why?"

"I need you to keep Carly company. I gotta run some errands."

"What errands?" I asked. I knew there were no errands. Spencer was just using them as an excuse to run away and save himself from hearing my never-ending love life dilemmas. I couldn't blame him. I've been having the same problem with boys over and over again.

"Oh. Just some errands. You know… The one which you need to do... Bye!" And then he was out.

I suddenly remembered why I was feeling so low. I shifted my position, grabbed the remote again, and focused myself on the program I wasn't even watching. Freddie was still sitting beside me and knowing him, it wouldn't take so much time for him to notice my mood.

"Are you okay Carls? You look..." Just as I thought.

"Mad? Angry? Frustrated?"

"Pouty."

I rolled my eyes and refused to meet his gaze. The next thing I knew, he had already stolen the remote from me and the television was now off.

"Hey!" I turned to him.

"What's the problem?" he asked seriously, concern evident in his chocolate brown eyes.

I sighed. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"In five, four, three, two..." he muttered.

"I caught Ryan kissing Rona!" I shouted. I was clearly annoyed that I had to repeat everything again but still, it wasn't Freddie's fault.

"So you had a fight?" he asked.

"No. We're over."

"Really?" I saw Freddie's eyes light up. It wasn't the reaction I was expecting from him. By the way he said it, it sounded more like he was ecstatic about Ryan and I's break-up.

"Why are you happy? You're not supposed to be happy!" I punched him lightly on his shoulder.

"I'm not…" he paused, suddenly thinking, "Okay... I'm kind of happy."

I saw him smile, or smirk? But whatever it was, his reaction pissed me off.

"Why you…" I raised my hand and was about to punch him again when he suddenly got hold of both my wrists. I struggled to free myself but he had gotten so strong. Two years ago, I could easily pin him down and now, I couldn't even get him on the ground.

"I was kidding Carly! I was just trying to make you laugh." He told me.

I gave him a sharp look as my muscles began to relax. "That wasn't funny."

"I know. But you see, Ryan is a jerk." He stated, letting go of my hand.

"I already know that! Thank you very much!" I said with pure sarcasm.

"Okay…" he paused. "What I'm trying to say is that you don't deserve a Rona-kissing-jerk. He's just one of those stupid boys who would come into your life and make you feel special but in the end, you'll always end up getting hurt."

I grimaced. I opened my mouth to respond but nothing came out. Freddie was right. I hated the fact that he was absolutely right.

"Come on. Smile?" he requested, looking straight into my eyes.

Freddie never used his puppy dog face on me before but I found it cute.

"Please? For me?"

I stared at him, already on the verge of smiling. When my eyes met his, we suddenly broke into laughter together.

"You stole my line Freddie!" I accused him playfully.

"Hey! At least it worked."

Freddie always knew how to make me laugh whenever I was feeling so low. Sometimes, we would just end up in a staring contest. It's as if we both have this secret language that when we look into each others' eyes, we knew exactly what the other one was talking about. Sometimes, words need not be spoken to know what we wanted to tell each other.

"Come on. Let's grab some smoothies. It's on me." he smiled at me as he stood up and offered his hand.

I put my hands on his as I smiled back. I didn't realize that I was already feeling so much better and it was all because of him.

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**A/N:**

**What do you guys think? This will be a multi-chapter story.**

**I'm still working on Chapter 8 of Dissipated Light. I wish I could update it soon. Oh, and I've already finished a Valentine one-shot. I'm gonna post it soon. ^_^**

**-purpleheart10  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**FREDDIE'S POV**

I left Carly on our table and proceeded to the counter to get our smoothies. I was glancing in her direction once in a while to check if there were people, or specifically guys, who were approaching her. It happens occasionally. When Carly would be sitting alone, random guys would approach her and ask her out. I couldn't blame them though. Carly was famous and she has this strong sex appeal that could attract guys anytime, anywhere.

"Here you go. Do you want a bagel on a stick with that?" T-bo asked as I handed him the money. I quickly turned around before he even persuades me to buy some weird things he sells on a stick.

When I glanced at Carly again, I almost dropped the smoothies I was holding. A guy was sitting on my seat, talking to her. I could tell from the way she looked at him that she wasn't interested but still, I felt a little bit jealous. Okay, maybe not just a little bit.

I walked a few more steps until I could hear clearly what they were talking about. Neither of them seemed to notice I was approaching.

"Come on. Friday?" he asked her.

"No."

"How about Saturday?"

"No."

I couldn't believe it! The guy was already asking her out! Jerk! It didn't even occur to me that Carly was constantly rejecting him. All I knew was that he needed to leave her alone. Now!

I quickly made my way towards them and stood beside Carly, settling the smoothies on the table. I put my arm around her shoulder. Carly's muscles tightened but when she looked up to see me, I felt her relax.

"Sorry to burst your bubbles dude but she's taken." I said to him coolly.

The guy, startled by what I said, looked at me and then turned his attention back to Carly. "You're taken?"

"You heard him!" she replied.

"Oh." It was the only thing he managed to say as he looked down at the table.

"And for your information, you're still sitting on my seat." I told him. He glared at me with his blue eyes which I didn't really care about.

He stood up and checked me out from head to toe, chuckling before asking Carly. "Why him?"

"Why not him?" She asked him back. Her answer made me smile though I was aware it was all part of the pretense.

"Fine. Just call me when you've come to your senses." I ignored his little insult and pretended I heard nothing. Carly and I watched him go back to the comforts of his own friends who were already laughing at him for having been rejected by Carly. It served him right.

I finally sat down on my seat and grabbed my Banana Blitz.

"Thanks Freddie." she smiled at me before taking her first sip of her Strawberry Splat.

"Glad to be of service."

We talked about random things while we wait for Sam. As usual, our other best friend got stuck at detention again for doing something we didn't even want to know. As we talked about the videos and bits we could use for our next show, we caught a glimpse of Ryan and Rona entering the door. They were walking hand-in-hand and we saw Ryan purposely grin at Carly as they walked past us.

"Jerk!" Carly muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

"Still upset about what happened?" I asked stupidly. Of course, she was. She had just been cheated on.

"I'm kind of thankful we broke up."

"Then why are you still upset?"

"It's just that… I couldn't seem to find the perfect guy for me. I dated bad boys but they'd always end up doing something I don't like. I tried to date nice guys but they seem too nice for me."

"Why don't you try dating Freddie instead?" I joked.

Carly smiled at me. "I did, remember? But he dumped me."

"I didn't dump you!" My voice suddenly came out loud enough to make everyone inside the store stare right at us. "I didn't dump you." I repeated, whispering this time to make sure Carly was the only one who could hear me.

"You did." She reminded me.

"I just said that we should wait until the hero thing wears off." I explained.

She just giggled.

The events that happened months ago suddenly came across my mind. Carly and I almost, if not, totally dated after I saved her life from that taco truck. Those were the best moments of my life but due to the things Sam made me realize, I had to break up with her. I needed to wake her up from her disillusionment. I didn't want her to love me just because I saved her life. I wanted her to love me because… well, because she loves me.

"Can I take it back?" I was being serious but I guess Carly didn't notice that when she laughed softly. Maybe she took it as another joke.

Her smile suddenly vanished and I wondered what she was thinking about. I heard her sigh as she refused to meet my gaze. Instead, she stared blankly at the window.

"I guess my prince just doesn't exist." She said dreamily.

I leaned towards her and whispered. "You'll never know. What if he does exist? What if he's inside this very store right now, drinking a Banana Blitz smoothie?"

Carly raised her eyebrow at me. Just when I thought she got what I was trying to say, she suddenly started looking around as if she was searching for something.

Ugh. I didn't know if she didn't catch that or she wasn't just aware that there I was, sitting right across her, drinking my favorite Banana Blitz smoothie. I wanted her to look at me and realize that I was her prince and we were not only meant to be best friends, but something more.

Carly's laughter interrupted me from my thoughts.

"Seriously, Germy?" she asked.

My eyebrows furrowed in frown as I looked at the direction she was staring at a while ago. I couldn't help but laugh with her when I saw Jeremy from another table not that far from ours. He was drinking Banana Blitz too.

"Don't worry. If someday you become Mrs. Germy, I'll do everything I can to get rid of him, and hopefully, be your second husband." I joked.

Carly rolled her eyes as she laughed. "I'd rather die alone."

She suddenly put her hands over her mouth. "Oh my God! I am gonna die alone!"

I looked at her strangely. This woman in front of me was indeed crazy. And ironically, she was driving me crazy too. I just love everything about Carly. Everything she does and says never fails to amuse me.

"Okay. Tell you what. When you reach 23 and we're both still single and available then, I'll marry you."

She removed her hands from her face and her eyes met mine. "That's too soon."

What? I was being serious a while ago and she took it as a joke. Now, I made a joke and she took it seriously. There has got to be something wrong with this girl.

I examined her face carefully, trying to squeeze out what her reaction really was about. When I looked into her eyes, it just hit me. She really was serious!

"Okay. When do you want to get married?" I asked, playing along with her.

"28."

I shook my head. "Too old. How about 24."

"Still too soon. 27?"

"25?"

"No. 26! Last offer."

"Deal."

"So when Carly reaches twenty-six and she and Freddie are still single by then, they're going to get married." She said happily as if everything was just something we joke about every single day.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked her again.

"Why not? I mean, we love each other right?" she told me.

We love each other? Yes, I loved her but I didn't know she loved me too.

"No… I mean, we love each other as best friends and maybe, when we're older, who knows? We could learn to love each other as someone we want to spend the rest of our lives with. It's completely possible, right?" She continued. She must have seen the questioning look on my face when she told me that we do love each other.

There was something wrong with what she said though. I could never learn to love her. Because I already do. And what I feel for Carly, it's never going away. It'll always be there, locked inside my heart, waiting for her go signal.

"Should we ankle swear on this?"

"You know how?" she asked.

"I could try…"

"It's okay. We don't have to. I mean, we're not going to forget about it, right?"

"Of course."

"But I want to clarify something." She said seriously. "I don't want this pact to affect us. I mean, we could still date anyone, anytime we want. Maybe, my prince is just out there like you said. I might not be your princess too."

"I get it. If somewhere along the way, you find someone you're sure you want to be with, that's fine by me. You can get married before you reach 26. If you're engaged or dating someone when that time comes, the deal is off." I assured her.

Carly smiled at me. "Same goes for you. If I'm single and you're not, the deal will be off too."

"Are you really, really really sure about this?" I asked again.

"Yes. I'd rather spend the rest of my life with my best friend than grow old alone. At least I'm sure I'd die in the arms of someone who loves me." she smiled and that was all I needed to hear.

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**A/N:**

**Reviews are love. ^_^  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**CARLY'S POV**

"So what did you do to get detention today?" I asked my best friend who was already raiding my fridge for ham ten minutes after eating our dinner. I was waiting for the popcorn to pop inside the microwave and that gave me the opportunity to ask her about her day.

"Ms. Briggs caught me drawing in her class." She replied casually as she took a big bite.

"That's it? She gave you detention for that?"

"Apparently, teachers don't like it when you draw them being eaten by three very hungry crocodiles."

"You did not!"

She smiled sheepishly. "I did. You wanna see it?"

"I don't think I want to." I shook my head and chuckled but Sam already managed to hand me a paper she just took out from her pocket. When I unfolded it, I saw a pretty good representation of what she was talking about.

"Wow. You're really good at this!" I told her. It was true. Even without the arrow and the big lettering of 'Briggs' written beside it, anybody could guess that it really was our teacher.

"Yeah. My secret talent." She replied proudly.

She then asked me about how my day went and I told her everything that happened from breaking up with Ryan and going to the Groovy Smoothies with Freddie. I just skipped the part about the pact we just made. I wasn't so sure how she would take that.

"The nub must be happy he gets to date you." She teased.

"Sam! It wasn't a date. We just went out. And it's your fault! If you weren't in detention, he might have bought you a smoothie too!"

"Let me get this straight." She dropped the ham on a plate and lifted herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. "You went alone to Groovy Smoothies, correct?"

I nodded.

"And he paid for your smoothie."

"That's right."

"It sounds like a date to me." she replied.

"I don't think so." I told her as I took out the popcorn. When Freddie and I went out, I never thought of it as a date. But now, because of what Sam made me realize, I was starting to question myself. I really hoped Freddie would not think of it as a date. I didn't want to get his hopes up.

Sam eyed me suspiciously but then she decided to let it go and followed me into the living room.

I took out all my books and notebooks from my bag and put them on the coffee table. I also took out Sam's things as we both waited for Freddie to arrive.

"So, did Freddie bust a move again?" Sam asked out of the blue as she flopped herself on the couch and started to empty the popcorn bowl.

"Sam! Drop it." I scolded her.

She sat up straight and put the popcorn down, raising both her arms after. I laughed at my best friend when she mistook what I said.

"Okay! No popcorn."

"I didn't mean that but yeah. Freddie and I could use some popcorn too."

Before Sam could even protest, I heard someone knock on the door. It could be no one else but Freddie so I hurriedly made my way towards it and let him in. He had his backpack with him.

"Hey Carls."

"Hey Freddie."

"Sam."

"Nub."

I heard Freddie sigh and soon, the three of us immediately proceeded to do our work. Sam lazily read her Chemistry book while Freddie and I studied Calculus first.

I was really having a hard time understanding these stupid functions and why the hell we need to differentiate and integrate them. Why does math have to be so complicated! I wished I could be good in Math like Freddie was. He aced one of our exams and he seemed to understand everything.

"I'm bored." Sam broke the silence and of course, our concentration.

"We need to study. It's our finals next week." I told her.

"And may I remind you Puckett that if you get a D on your chemistry exam, you won't be able to graduate with us." Freddie reminded her.

"I hate you." She glared at him before she turned to me. "Can I please, please sleep now? You know a girl like me should sleep at least eight hours a day."

I shook my head but smiled at my best friend. "Sam, it's only 9 and we've just been studying for an hour and a half."

Sam just pouted and I knew what was going to happen next. So before she threw a tantrum again like the time when she wanted me to enter that pageant, I agreed to let her sleep. Besides, no one would like Sam if she's sleepy and tired.

"Thanks cupcake." She gave me a quick hug before she vanished into my bedroom.

I went back to solving the problem I've been working on for the past fifteen minutes. I couldn't get the answers right no matter how much effort I put into it. My solution paper already looked like trash and it was filled with erasures.

I groaned as I crumpled the paper and put it on the pile of papers I just created on the floor.

"Carly… Is something wrong?" Freddie dropped his pen and looked at me.

"Yes. I couldn't understand a damn thing!" I exclaimed as I banged my head on the table three times. My fourth attempt was blocked by a hand that rested on the table, preventing my head from hitting it.

"Stop it. You'll hurt yourself. What can't you understand?" Freddie scooted closer to me. So close that our arms were already touching and I could smell the fragrance of his shampoo.

"Is this the problem?" he asked, pointing his pen at something I wrote.

I nodded.

"Okay. First, you need to find the partial derivatives of the given function with respect to x and y. When you got that, you have to get the partial derivatives again." he explained as he wrote the solution on my paper.

"So you have to do it twice?" I asked.

"Yes. Then to get to critical points, you have to equate your first two partial derivatives to zero then solve for x and y. Now, you combine all of the x and y values to create sets of points. In this case, we have three..."

Freddie continued his lecture. I looked at him and noticed that he looked really cute while he was speaking math. That gave me the opportunity to study every feature of his face closely. I suddenly asked myself why I never considered dating Freddie. He was cute and smart and funny and…

"Carly… Still there?"

I snapped out of it when I caught him staring at me too. The fact that our faces were too close bothered me that I had to look away first and turn my attention back to the problem we were solving.

Freddie chuckled softly. "So, did you even understand what I said or were you too busy drooling?"

"I wasn't drooling!" I stared at him and the grin plastered upon his face irritated me.

"Okay… What did I say?"

What did he say? I didn't have a single clue. I just heard him talk about a saddle thingy but my brain never really processed it.

"Uh… Hmm… Something about a saddle? Why are we talking about horses now? I thought you're teaching me Calculus?"

Freddie laughed. "I was talking about a different saddle, Carly. Not the one you put on horses."

"Oh."

"Here." He tapped another equation on the paper and let me see it. "When you substitute the point to this equation and you get a negative value, the critical point is a saddle point. If it's positive, it's either a relative maximum or a relative minimum."

Freddie and I continued studying but it was more of him helping me with these problems. Freddie was a great tutor and I learned a lot of things from him that I didn't understand at first. During the process, however, I tried my best not to let him catch me staring at him again.

"Carls… Why don't you take a break first? It's already eleven. You've been studying all night." He told me. He must have seen me yawn several times.

"What about you?"

"I'll just scan my biology notes. Besides, Spencer would be here from the party any minute. When he arrives, I'll go home and rest. My mom allowed me to stay until midnight." He explained.

"Okay. But wake me up later." I stood up groggily and laid myself on the couch. My eyes were already heavy and they were begging for me to close them.

"Carls?"

"Hmm?"

"Sweet dreams."

I smiled at him and before my eyes shut themselves, the last thing I saw was an image of a smiling Freddie.

---

"Carly…"

I heard Freddie whisper.

"Carls… wake up." He shook me lightly on the shoulder.

I was already awake but I've decided to pretend that I was still asleep and see what Freddie would do or say to me. I wanted to hear what he wanted to say to me when I was unconscious. Maybe, he would tell me his feelings for me like what people do in those movies Sam and I usually watch at night.

"Carly…"

I waited.

"If you don't wake up, I'll kiss you!"

I repeatedly told myself to open my eyes but something inside me told me that maybe I should wait a little longer and see if Freddie has the guts to do what he just said.

"Ready? Here I go Carly…"

My eyes opened wide when I realized he was really going to do it. So before our lips touched, I sat up.

"I'm awake!"

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**A/N:**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**FREDDIE'S POV**

I was standing by my locker while I waited for Carly and Sam to come out from their last period classes. Sam was still in her trigonometry class and Carly was still in our room, waiting for Mr. Schneider to give her the result of our calculus exam. I already got mine since he was returning it in alphabetical order. I was glad I maintained an A average. Carly was too nervous that she told me to wait at the locker area.

The exams were finally over and relief washed through me. The only things we needed to worry about were graduation and college application. Those are, as Sam referred to them, serious chiz. The three of us had been submitting application forms to the same universities but we made a pact not to let our decisions be affected by the others'. Besides, we talked about how our friendship could stand through tests of time and long distances.

I was returning some books into my locker that I didn't even notice Carly was already standing beside me. She managed to open her locker without even saying anything to me.

"Hey. How was it?" I asked her.

Carly closed her locker and turned to me. She looked sad and problematic and I think I knew what might have caused it. I felt really bad that Carly wasn't able to do well in our calculus exam. Maybe I wasn't that good of a tutor.

"Carly…" I sighed. "I'm sure Mr…"

"I got an A plus!" she squealed and crushed herself against my body. I failed to react immediately since my brain was still processing what she just said. When I finally took it all in, my arms instantly closed around her figure as the two of us both jumped and squealed at the same time.

"Congratulations! You even got a better grade than me." I told her after releasing each other. I was still holding both her hands.

"Oh come on. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten this grade." She snatched her hands away from mine only to give me another quick hug. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." I smiled at her.

"Groovy Smoothies later?" she asked. "My turn to treat you."

"I wouldn't say no that." Carly shook her head and smiled.

We then talked about some random stuffs that include graduation and some ideas we could use for our final web show, for now. I remembered our first brainstorming for the last iCarly. I was talking about some of my ideas when I noticed that Carly was crying silently in her beanbag. Sam was pretty much just quiet that night. She didn't even bother to interrupt me. As for me, no matter how depressed I was seeing my two best friends like that, I tried to control my emotions for both of them. I had to be strong.

"Hey." Sam greeted us glumly.

Carly turned to her the moment she heard her voice. I just nodded at Sam, wondering what was wrong with her. How did I know? Well, it was simply because she didn't even call me a new name she came up with and her face looked like she just found out that the world was out of meat!

"Sam? Are you okay?" Carly asked, concern evident in her voice.

Our best friend forced a smile. "Yeah, momma's fine. Don't worry about me."

"Oh. Well, groovy smoothies? It's on me. Freddie and I were just talking about it."

I felt a little bit of disappointment when she invited Sam. When Carly invited me to go to Groovy Smoothies, I thought we were going alone again. But I didn't really mind going with Sam. I just wished Carly and I could spend as much quality time together as possible before we go to college.

"Nah, I think I'm gonna skip today." Sam told her.

Carly's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But smoothies always cheer you up." It was true. Sam would never decline an invitation from Carly or from anyone, especially if she's not paying for her own smoothie. She loved free stuffs.

"Yeah. Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"I told you I'm okay." she replied sharply.

Carly took a deep breath and sighed as her shoulders dropped. It was a sign that she was starting to get worried about Sam.

"I'll just see you guys tomorrow. My mom's waiting for me in the car." Sam hugged Carly goodbye and gave me a tap on my shoulder before she vanished towards the parking lot.

"Something's wrong with her." Carly stated as soon as Sam was out of sight.

"I know. She gave me tap on the shoulder." I replied.

"What's wrong with a tap?"

"Nothing. It's just she usually punches me whenever she says goodbye."

Carly laughed faintly and we soon started walking out of the school premises. My mom was still at work and Spencer was in some art convention again so Carly and I would walk on our way to Bushwell Plaza. It would take us longer to reach our apartment but I didn't really mind.

---

"I'm worried about Sam." she muttered under her breath as we took a sit on our favorite table at the Groovy Smoothies. This time, she went to the counter with me to avoid what happened the last time we both went here together.

"Yeah. Me too. I've never seen her like this since Missy." I replied. Truth is, I hated seeing Sam feel so low and depressed. Partly because when she was like that, Carly would become so affected and partly because she was my best friend too and I really cared about her.

"I want to know what's bothering her but she won't even answer my texts! I guess she wants to be alone." she sighed.

I put my hand on top of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Hey. Sam is a strong girl. She'll be fine. Now, stop worrying or you'll grow wrinkles on your forehead."

And then I saw her smile. "I really hope so."

"You hope she'll be okay or you hope to have wrinkles on your forehead?" I teased.

Carly gave me her sweetest smile. "You know what I'm talking about mister."

I just stared blankly at her as if it was the first time I saw her smile like that. I wanted to keep a mental picture of that gorgeous smile that I could bring with me for college. I'd really miss Carly. I'd miss her smile, her laugh, everything about her.

"Uh, Freddie..." she suddenly whispered, interrupting me from my thoughts. "You can take your hand back now."

"Oh." I snatched it away immediately. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." she smiled shyly.

Carly just slurped her smoothie while avoiding eye contact with me. I tried to think of a topic that we could talk about to remove the awkwardness that was present between us after the hand incident.

"So about our final web show, I was thinking maybe we could..." I didn't even get to finish what I was saying because Carly's face suddenly fell down upon hearing the words 'final web show'. A tear already escaped her eyes and I couldn't stand to look at her.

"I'm sorry Carly. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just..."

"I'm okay." she sniffed as she wiped the tear with her fingers.

"I'm really sorry." I apologized again.

"I'm sorry for being too sensitive." she smiled. "It's just that I'm not yet ready to say goodbye to iCarly especially to all the fans who watch our show. It has really become a big part of my life and it's part of who I am." she explained.

I smiled at her. "I know what you mean. I love doing iCarly with you and Sam. It's my most favorite thing in the world."

"Me too."

"And you're my most favorite person in the world."

Seeing Carly blush like that was just one of the thousand things I'd terribly miss about her. I was starting to hate the idea of going to college, but then I thought, it was the idea of being away from Carly that I hated. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her, to be away from her. I know I wasn't that tough, even Sam was tougher than me. But I wanted to be by her side always... to protect her when I needed to.

* * *

**A/N:**

**What's wrong with Sam? Any guesses?  
**

**I just want to let you guys know that this story is going to be really, really long. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**FREDDIE'S POV**

"This is it." Carly took a deep breath and drank the last of her water. Only two more minutes before we go live. This was going to be the final webcast of iCarly.

"Yeah. I still can't believe it's going to end." Sam replied dryly.

She still hasn't changed since she declined our Groovy Smoothies invitation. Though Carly and I could notice that she was clearly carrying something deep inside, Sam tried to be her usual self. Carly repeatedly tried to make Sam tell her what was wrong but she was never successful in any of her attempts. I didn't ask her about it because I was pretty sure if she wouldn't tell Carly, there was no chance she'd tell it to me.

I smiled at both of them while pushing some buttons in my techie-cart. I was double-checking everything since this was supposed to be something big.

"One minute 'til we go live. Ready guys?" I told them as I lifted the rather heavy camera I've been using for years.

Carly and Sam proceeded to their locations but instead of the usual dancing and shaking before the show starts, they just took a deep breath this time.

"In five, four, three, two..." I sighed as I pointed at them. I'd sure miss saying that phrase. Carly said though she found it weird at first, she have always liked the way I never get to one.

My girls then started doing their thing and as usual, they were pretty hilarious. Everything was going according to plan.

"You're probably wondering why we're wearing graduation caps..." Sam said and I zoomed the camera on her.

"Graduation time!" Carly squealed excitedly. When Sam didn't react, Carly repeated her line. "Graduation time!"

"Oh, right. Graduation." Sam said as she pressed the clap button in her blue remote control.

Carly looked at her and I could tell she was starting to worry again. She then looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders. Sam just nodded and she managed to recite her next lines the way we rehearsed it.

The flow of the show went very smoothly afterward. Sam became her usual iCarly self again and Carly was awesome, as usual. We showed videos sent to us by our fans about their favorite graduation moments and we gave them another one of those pathetic plays. Of course, there were a couple of random dancings too.

"Okay... I think it's time to say goodbye." Sam said and Carly's reaction soon changed. The smile she was wearing the whole duration of the web cast vanished as both of them turned serious.

"Yeah. We're not talking about the same goodbye like the ones we usually do after every show. This one's kind of different." Carly explained timidly.

"We want to thank each and everyone of you for being the most awesome fans in the world. iCarly wouldn't have been in the internet this long if it wasn't for you guys." Sam said sincerely.

"Bad sadly, everything has to end. But don't worry..." Carly was starting to get teary-eyed again. I just gave her a smile.

"Our website, iCarly dot com, will always be there for you guys. You can still send us questions, stuffs, and videos that you want the three of us to see. Carly and I, and Fredward as well, will be blogging about random stuffs to keep you updated on the lives of your favorite web stars and their nerdy tech-producer..."

"Sam!" I yelled at her.

She stuck her tongue before she continued. "So watch out iCarly fans!"

"Because iCarly is going nowhere." Carly's smile returned as she said that line.

"So that's it..."

Before Sam and Carly said their final words of goodbye, I signaled them to stop. They both looked confused so I switched to the V cam quickly and put my camera down before joining them.

"You guys are probably wondering what I'm doing here..." I started.

"Yeah, no chiz." Sam interrupted.

"Carly and Sam know nothing about this but I made something for them that I want you guys to see too. Just a little present from me." I smiled and then looked at my best friends who had clearly no idea what I was talking about.

I pressed the green button on my portable equipment I always wear on my belt and the red screen started moving. I gestured my hand for Carly and Sam to look at it and soon, the video presentation I was making for the last two weeks started playing. It was a collection of the best iCarly moments that I put together. I stood beside Carly and the three of us tuned in to the screen where we used to play every videos we've got.

_"I am right!"_

_"You am wrong!"_

_"You am obnoxious!"_

Carly and Sam looked at each other and giggled. If was their first fight that we settled on iCarly. I felt bad that I had to yank their ponytails but that's the only plan I thought for them to make up. They've become really stubborn to the point that they were both getting on my nerves.

_"We're webcasting to you live from our school."_

_"Tell 'em why we got detention."_

_"Cause we're naughty!"_

Our fiftieth webshow we did inside detention room. My body really ached that night after Sam pushed the ladder I was standing on. But it was all worth it. Even though Mr. Devlin caught us doing the show while we're cheering for a turtle race, the tables got turned on him. Apparently, Principal Franklin was watching the show and he heard Mr. Devlin call him 'spineless'.

_"The first iCarly fan to tell us the correct answer wins a new car!"_

_"And if you can't figure out how to text us... then call your doctor."_

_"Cause you may be suffering from extreme stupidity."_

_"Together, we can find a cure."_

Through the years, Nevel tried to get rid of iCarly all because Carly refused to give him a little kiss. It served him right. Why did he think Carly would want to kiss him? Not to brag about it but at least when Carly kissed me, it wasn't because I blackmailed her into it.

"_Carly couldn't beat up my cat."_

_"And her cat only has three legs."_

_"Carly... not a tough girl."_

_"But I do wear cute skirts."_

I was really worried when Carly had to fight Shelby. I didn't want her to get hurt but thankfully, her face didn't need any reconstruction. Shelby was indeed a great fighter and I must admit, she was kind of hot. But she wasn't my Carly.

Speaking of Carly, I saw her put her arm around Sam's waist as she rested her head on my shoulder while we watched the presentation I made. From the looks of it, I think both of them really liked it.

_"Before we end this show, Carly is gonna sit in this chair."_

_"For the record, I have no idea what she's doing."_

_"Just sit tight."_

_"Freddie?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"What, what, no, no, woah, woah, mmmm, mmmm... mmm!"_

_"Listen up iCarly fans. If you're a guy who's not a loser and you live here in the Seattle area, and you'd like to go to a dance, just send as an e-mail."_

_"Mmm.. Mmm!!"_

_"Come on. Who wouldn't wanna go out with this!"_

Austin maybe lucky he was chosen by Carly to accompany her to dance. But I was luckier because I got to dance with her.

_"I'm Sam!"_

_"And I'm guilty."_

_"Carly."_

_"And I'm Carly."_

_"And this webshow now comes twice the comedy and only half the fat of a regular web show."_

I heard Carly's giggles again. I remembered seeing her going to school one morning with a messy hair and fingernails like those of a hobo. I knew I said she looked horrible but that was just me. Nothing changed about the way I felt for her because no matter how she looks, she'll always be the Carly Shay I have always adored.

_"So whatever will happen on this new and exciting webisode of iCarly."_

_"I'm glad you asked."_

_"I'm glad you're glad."_

_"Are you glad I'm glad you're glad?"_

_"Weird, I'm getting less glad."_

After the last iCarly bit I put in my video, pictures of the three of us outside iCarly started flashing into the screen. I heard a couple of 'Aww' and some giggles from Carly and Sam.

And then it was over. I took the liberty of saying the final goodbye to our fans since Carly and Sam couldn't talk at the moment. They were busy hugging and sobbing behind me. I kind of expected that our last webisode would be something like this.

"We're clear guys." I told them after I shut the V cam off.

They instantly released each other and turned looked at me. Their eyes were still red and fresh tears were still present on both their cheeks. I've seen Carly cry several times before but if I wasn't mistaken, that would only be the second time I saw Sam cry. Carly said Sam didn't want me to see her cry.

"That turned out well." Carly jokingly said as she wiped the remaining tears on her face.

"Yeah. Until Fredward showed us that video."

"You loved it Sam. Don't you deny it." I told her.

Carly suddenly leaped into my arms and whispered a thank you.

"Say Freddie... Could you uhm... Put that video in a CD for me?" Sam suddenly asked the moment Carly and I released each other.

"Sure. I'd make one for Carly too."

"Yey. Don't you think we all deserve a smoothie?" Carly asked before she turned to Sam. "And we won't take no for an answer this time, Sam."

Sam gave her a faint smile. "Actually..."

"Oh, come on Sam!" I told her before she could even finish. This was a special moment and it would not be the same without her.

"Well, I'm thinking of treating you guys. Galini's coconut cream pie?" her smile turned huge and I could tell Carly was pretty much psyched about it by the way she jumped up and down before running into Sam to give her another hug.

Sam? Treating us? Something must be really wrong with her.

I shook my head and smiled at myself as I watched two of my favorite girls walk on their way to the elevator. When Carly noticed I wasn't moving, she asked me if I was coming. I just told her I still had to fix some equipments and that I'd meet them downstairs.

When the elevator closed, I walked slowly towards my techie-cart and ran my hands through it. I still couldn't believe that iCarly was over. Well, not technically over because during our last rehearsal, the three of us talked about filming another webisode again. We just didn't know when but I found myself looking forward to that this soon.

I carried the camera I've been using for years to film iCarly and put it inside its bag. I wasn't even aware I was crying until a drop of tear fell into the bag as I was closing it. I wiped it off and stood up. I've decided to leave my equipments and just come back for it some other time.

I gave the studio one last look before going inside the elevator to meet Carly and Sam.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter turned out to be longer than I expected. I hope you guys don't mind that I put some of the real iCarly bits from the show. And I don't own them. Dan does. **

**Hope you like it!**

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. I love you guys. Seriously. lol  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**CARLY'S POV**

"Another chain message?" I asked no one in particular. "Delete!"

"You better forward it if you don't want to have any bad luck like Freddie's." Sam warned me.

"There was no bad luck. That was just you!" I reminded her.

"Oh, right." she smiled sheepishly.

We were sitting on the beanbags inside the iCarly studio, checking our mails and just surfing the web. I was glad Sam was starting to return to her normal self again. Sure, she was still spacing out once in a while but Freddie and I could sense that somehow, our Sam was back. Besides, she started calling Freddie names again and we believed that was a good sign.

"Speaking of Freddie, where's the nub?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea. But he's probably gonna be here..."

"Carlyyyyy! Carly!!!" Freddie suddenly entered the room, shouting my name repeatedly. When he reached Sam and me, he put both his hands on his knees and tried to recover himself. He looked pretty exhausted from taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"You're mom's trying to make you have a tick bath again?" Sam teased.

Freddie straightened himself up and glared at Sam before he turned to me. His smile was reaching his ears and he suddenly looked excited and happy.

"Have you checked your mail yet?" he asked.

"No, why?"

Freddie handed me the paper he was holding the whole time that I didn't notice until now. I dropped my laptop carefully on the floor and stood up to grab the paper from him. I read it slowly and when I realized what it says and where it was from, my eyes grew wide in pure shock and excitement.

"Oh my God, Freddie!" I exclaimed as I crushed myself against him again. I realized I've been doing that a lot lately. I just liked the idea of Freddie holding me so close to him. Now, if I get accepted to Stanford too, maybe I wouldn't miss his strong biceps that were always ready to catch me.

"I know. Sweet, right? I'm getting excited every moment!" Freddie said as he let go of me.

"Congrats, Fredward." Sam smiled sincerely and stood up to give Freddie a handshake followed by a light punch in the arm. I just shook my head and smiled at them.

"Carlyyyyyy! Carlaaaay!" And then it was my brother's turn to barge in through the door and shout my name several times. I found it weird that his actions mirrored everything Freddie was doing earlier.

"Okay, Spencer. What's up with you?" I put my hands on my waist as I watched my brother inhale and exhale repeatedly.

He held an envelope up and I suddenly felt nervous the moment I saw it. "This. Open it. It's from Stanford."

"Give me it!" I snatched the envelope from him and opened it quickly.

"What does it say?" Freddie asked and I felt all their eyes were on me.

After reading to myself the first few lines of the letter, I folded it again and looked at them one after the other. I bit my lower lip and shook my head slowly, dropping my eyes on the floor.

"Aww. Carly..." Spencer was the one to react first. He opened his arms for me and I willingly rested my head on his chest.

"Spencer..." I whispered. "I'm in."

"I'm sor... What?"

"I passed!" I shouted and he released me immediately only to hug me again. I then turned to Freddie. His smile was indescribable that moment.

"You passed!"

"I know I passed!"

I gave him a quick hug like the one with Spencer and then turned to Sam. She didn't look as excited as the three of us. She just smiled faintly at me.

"I'm just gonna go downstairs and get me some ham." she said dryly and before we could even say anything, she was already out of the studio.

"What's wrong with Sam?" Spencer asked.

"We don't know. She won't tell us." Freddie answered him all because I was too upset to say something.

I gave the paper I was holding to Spencer and made my way out of the studio to follow Sam. I needed to know badly what was wrong with her and what I could do to help her. I really, really missed my best friend.

When I was downstairs, I went directly into the kitchen but she wasn't there. I've decided to go back upstairs when I saw her sitting on our couch, looking at the floor. I hated seeing Sam like that.

"Sam..." I whispered as I sat beside her. "Sam, what's wrong? Come on, you can tell me anything. We're best friends, right?"

She turned her head to look at me and smiled. "I'm sorry if I'm being too much of a burden to you and Freddie."

Before I could speak again, we heard the sound of the elevator. We turned our heads to see who it was and out came Freddie with his hands inside his pockets. I gave him a smile as he walked towards us.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted anything." he apologized as he made his way towards the door. "I'm just gonna go see what my mom..."

"Sit down, Freddie." Sam told him sternly and without another word from him, he sat down beside me as we both waited for what Sam had to say.

She breathed deeply before taking out something from her pocket. "I got this mail this morning."

She handed me the paper and I looked at her before I unfolded it. It was a letter from Stanford like the ones Freddie and I got earlier. Freddie was looking at the letter over my shoulders and I suddenly felt nervous he was so close to me. I just ignored the jolt of electricity his presence was sending to my body and concentrated on reading Sam's letter.

"Sam!" I exclaimed after reading the first few lines of the letter to myself. "You passed!"

"Cool! That means we're going to Stanford together and we can still continue iCarly. That would be awesome!" Freddie said behind me.

I was so proud of Sam! Who would have thought that she would go to Stanford with us? She really put a great effort into it. Freddie and I were just so excited but after a while, I noticed Sam wasn't very ecstatic about it. She was just smiling weakly. Shouldn't she be happy? She just got accepted to Stanford for Pete's sake and that meant the three of us would still be together for the next few years of our lives.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I can't go to Stanford with you guys." she replied.

"Oh man! Did you fail your chemistry exam?" Freddie asked behind me.

Sam gave him a sharp look. "Watch it, Fredward."

"Then, what's the matter?" I asked her again.

I heard her sign before looking at me. "Remember what I told you about my dad? That he just left us without saying a word?" I nodded and she continued. "Well, he just had a medical mission here in Seattle last week and while he was here, he and my mom decided to meet to straighten things out."

"Oh. Well, that's good."

"Too good. Apparently, my dad and my mom made up. He wanted to make it up to us so they've both decided to start all over again."

"Isn't that good news?" Freddie asked her.

"It is. But..." she paused "My dad's based on London now and that means Melanie and I will have to go to college there."

London? Sam was going? I suddenly felt depressed after hearing Sam had to go. For almost ten years, Sam and I had become inseparable. She was always there for me, ready to beat up people who threatened to hurt me. And I was there for her too. She wasn't just my meat-loving best friend. She was the sister I never had.

"Can't you just ask your dad to stay here?" I asked, trying to think of ways to stop her from leaving the country.

"I tried. But he has a clinic there he couldn't leave." her face fell instantly and I couldn't do anything but to hug my best friend.

"When?" I whispered to her.

"A week before summer ends." she replied as she let go of me.

"Oh." I wiped the tear that escaped my eyes and forced a smile. "That means we have all the summer time to ourselves."

"Yeah, we can still have fun!" Freddie said happily.

"I'm gonna miss you Sam." I hugged my best friend one more time.

"You too cupcake."

"Group hug!" Freddie declared as I felt his arms wrap around me and Sam.

I couldn't help but wish that the three of us could stay like this forever. I wish nothing had to change. Sam and Freddie would still fight over random things and I'd try to stop them, Sam raiding my fridge once in a while, and Freddie always being eager to talk about technology stuffs though he knew we weren't even listening.

I'd sure miss Sam a lot but I guess Freddie and I just had to stick with each other throughout college. It wouldn't be that bad, right?

* * *

**A/N:**

**I want to say sorry to all Sam fans. There will be very little of her in the upcoming chapters to emphasize the growing Carly-Freddie friendship throughout college. But no worries, she'll be back in the last chapters of the story and I might write one very important chapter in her POV. ^_^  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**FREDDIE'S POV**

"Where's my cap?" Sam asked the two of us as we searched for her missing graduation cap. She said her hair needed to breathe so she took it off. Only ten minutes more until the ceremony would start and there we were, panicking over a blue cap.

"Where did you put it Sam?" Carly asked her back as she turned her head around and let her eyes wander across the huge auditorium full of students, parents, and teachers.

"I don't know. It was up there in my head a while ago." She replied.

"Yeah. Until you took it off!" I told her.

"Don't start with me, Benson." She warned me.

I just shook my head and continued looking for it. Carly was busy asking everyone if ever they came across a blue cap while Sam just let out grunts and groans.

"Hey guys. Happy Graduation!" Gibby approached and greeted us in his complete graduation attire.

"Not now Gibby." Carly told him, not bothering to look at him and greet him back.

"Sorry Gibby but we're looking for Sam's gra—"

I didn't get to finish what I was saying because Sam already managed to detach Gibby's cap from his head and put in on hers.

"That's mine, Sam!" He told her, desperately trying to get it from her. Too bad he couldn't reach it as Sam was busy shoving his hand away.

"Get your own Gibbs." She just told him.

"But that's my…" Before Gibby could even protest any further, Sam dragged both me and Carly towards the front where the students' seats were.

"Sam, you just can't take someone else's cup because yours is missing." Carly scolded her. I crossed my arms and grinned at Sam, teasing her. It was officially the last day of our high school lives and she was still getting her daily dose of Carly's scolding.

She glared at me and I immediately wiped the grin plastered upon my face before she does something bad to me. Fortunately, she let it go and just turned her attention back to Carly.

"I know."

"So are you going to return that to Gibby?" I asked her.

"Heck no!"

Just as we thought.

"Come on. It will start soon." Carly said and we soon searched for the chairs with our respective last names attached at the back of it.

The chairs were arranged alphabetically and that meant I was sitting far from Carly and Sam. They weren't actually sitting next to each other too. Carly was two rows away from Sam and that prevented the three of us from making any type of communication during the whole ceremony.

I took out my phone from my pants' pocket under my robe and sent a text message to Carly.

_This is it. Good luck!_

After sending it, I immediately turned my head to see what her reaction was. When she caught me staring at her, I just smiled at her. She motioned her hand for me to wait as she looked down and took her phone out. It only took a while before my phone vibrated again and it was her name that flashed on the screen.

_Thanks. You too. Check Sam out. :)_

I then looked at Sam and saw that she was munching on a bacon she was holding. I shook my head and smiled to myself. Typical Sam. Maybe she forgot to eat breakfast again, or maybe she was just plain hungry like she always was. I'd definitely miss Sam and her love for meat.

Leaning back on my seat, I waited patiently for the ceremony to start.

---

The speeches were finally over and I was surprised I didn't fall asleep through it. The first row was up and my classmates were already forming a line at the right side of the room. Ms. Briggs was calling the names one by one while Principal Franklin and Mr. Howard stood in the middle of the stage, handing the diplomas.

My row was up next and as I stood in line, I felt happiness and excitement that we were finally graduating from high school but at the same time, sadness and fear of what college life would offer us.

"Fredward Benson."

I made my way up the stage as soon as Ms. Briggs called my name. She was one of the teachers I'd never ever forget. Thanks to her, iCarly was born. She was one of those people who were responsible for bringing me and Carly closer together and no matter how much I hate Ms. Briggs' guts and her love for bagpipes, she still made my high school life memorable.

I was greeted by a smiling Principal Franklin who was reaching out his hand to hand me my diploma. He was a good man and he seemed to understand Sam very much. He never gave unreasonable punishments and he was kind of hip. He was a big fan of iCarly too.

I let Spencer and my mom took a few pics of me on stage. I couldn't describe the reaction printed upon my mom's face. It looked like she was about to cry. Oh mom. A few more camera flashes and I went down to return to my seat.

"Gibby Gibson."

Gibby came up the stage and I was not surprised that he wasn't wearing a graduation cap. Instead, he had a blue handkerchief on his head made into a bandana. The crowd chuckled in chorus and I was glad he managed to keep his shirt on all the while he was on stage. He happened to be accepted into the University of California in San Diego but I still didn't know what he would take up.

Two more rows and one of my best friends was up.

"Samantha Puckett."

I couldn't believe that she got the loudest cheers of us all. She walked up the stage proudly and smiled at everyone. I looked around and saw my classmates constantly clapping their hands. Carly was clapping too and I bet if there was one person who was prouder than Mrs. Puckett, it was Carly. The teachers were the happiest. I had no idea if it was because they were proud too, or because this was the last time they'd see her. Carly and I saw her struggle throughout our high school life but with so much effort she put into it this last few quarters, she made it! She proved all those people who judged her wrong.

It was depressing that she had to leave for college when she could actually go to Stanford with me and Carly. I guess she missed her dad a lot too and she wanted to spend some quality time with him. However, she did promise to visit us often no matter how much it would cost her, or her dad for that matter.

Principal Franklin handed her the diploma and she stood in the middle of the stage, raising both the diploma and her bacon! I just shook my head and smiled at her, cheering with my classmates after.

When Sam got off the stage, my eyes were fixed upon my other best friend who was now standing in line at the right side of the auditorium. She looked pretty amazing in her blue gown and the smile she was wearing was priceless. I was absent-mindedly clapping my hands, just going with the flow, not even knowing or caring about who I was clapping for.

"Carly Shay."

She made her way up gracefully and walked towards Principal Franklin. He smiled at her and mumbled a 'Congratulations' as she received her diploma from him. Like what everyone else did, she stood up in the middle of the stage and smiled at the cameras taking pictures from the back. I looked around and saw Spencer taking pictures of Carly furiously, clicking and clicking after the other. My mom took a few pictures of Carly too. Her dad was standing between Spencer and my mom, and I bet he was so proud of his daughter. Who wouldn't be?

In a few months, we'll be starting our college life and what made it more exciting was, me and Carly would still be together. At least I'd be by her side to take care of her needs and protect her from stupid college jerks who would break her little heart.

I turned my attention back to Carly again and our gazes met. She gave me an adorable smile as she held her diploma up high. I smiled back at her as I clapped my hands.

She just stood there for a while until Principal Franklin whispered something to her that made her turn scarlet. She immediately went down and returned to her seat.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry for keeping you guys waiting! I've been really busy these past few days but to make it up to all of you, the next chapter will be posted very soon. ^_^**

**I feel really guilty that I have to take Sam out of the picture but she's just gonna be out during college. This story has a long way to go.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**FREDDIE'S POV**

The ceremony was finally over and I left my mom who was busy having a conversation with some of my teachers to look for Carly and Sam. I was walking past the thick crowd of parents and children hugging each other when I saw a familiar brunette and a curly-blond hugging each other not too far from where I was.

I approached them and instinctively wrapped my arms around my two special girls.

"Freddie..." Carly giggled. "You're squishing us!"

I let them go and smiled. "Sorry about that."

"Congratulations Fredward." Sam said casually as she reached for a quick hug.

Her attitude towards me changed a lot since she told us she'd be moving to London. Sure she still picked on me every once in a while but she wouldn't abuse me physically anymore. She also stopped calling me names and just decided to call me by my real name.

"You too Samantha."

Sam hated to be called by her first name so it wasn't a surprise anymore that she gave me a playful punch on my shoulder after we let go of each other. At least it wasn't something like the punches she used to throw at me.

"Congratulations Freddie." Carly squealed happily and it was her turn to capture me in an embrace.

"Congratulations Carls." I whispered, closing my arms around her. We stayed like that for a few more minutes and I believed we could have hugged longer if Sam didn't break us apart too soon.

"Knock it off you two. If we didn't make a promise not to keep anymore secrets, I'd definitely think you're dating behind my back." she snickered and for the second time that day, I saw Carly blush again.

"Hey.. Ahh.. You guys want to go to the Groovy Smoothies?" I asked them, trying to change the subject to save Carly and myself.

"Actually, my mom wanted to go out and celebrate tonight. Melanie and my dad are here." she replied. "I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

"Of course." Carly smiled at her as they gave each other one quick hug. Sam gave me another playful punch before she vanished through the crowd.

Carly and I were trapped in an awkward silence. I tried to think of something to say but my mind was blank that time. She just stood beside me quietly, trying to remove the hairpins that were keeping her graduation cap steady the whole time.

"Ouch." she muttered under breath.

She was having a hard time removing the last hairpin which was stuck on her hair. Her graduation cap was dangling on her head and I couldn't help myself from laughing at how cute she looked.

"Freddie!"

"Here..."

I reached for her hand and made her drop it on her side, letting me take over. It didn't take me long to untangle the pin and remove her cap completely. But it took me a whole lot of time staring at her as our faces were only inches apart. We were staring into each other's eyes like we were the only people inside the auditorium when in fact, it was still full of people.

"Eherm..."

I immediately stepped backwards when I realized that Mr. Shay and my mom were standing in front of us.

"He was just... ah... helping me remove the pin." Carly explained as if we were found guilty of something. "See?" she grabbed the pin from me and raised it up for our parents to see. If I wasn't scared of her dad, I'd definitely laugh at how guilty she looked. Carly was never easy when she was under pressure.

"Of course." Mr. Shay replied calmly and smiled at both of us. I sighed in relief.

The four of us then walked together to the parking lot. Carly and I remained silent for a while, still embarrassed that our parents caught us in an awkward position. Fortunately, her father didn't show any sign of anger or anything and my mom just kept her mouth shut which was unusual in a way.

"Where's Spencer?" Carly suddenly asked when she noticed her brother was missing in action.

"He's outside with your graduation present." My mom answered. I thought I saw her and Mr. Shay exchanged glances but maybe it was just me.

"Wait..." I paused, suddenly thinking. "My graduation present or Carly's?"

Before anyone got to answer my question, a red beetle convertible stopped in front of us. I was slightly annoyed at the driver for blocking our way but when I got a clear view of who he was, my jaw dropped and my eyes grew wide in shock.

"Spencer?" Carly and I said at the same time. I was sure she was as startled as me seeing Spencer drive the brand new Volkswagen that was parked in front of us.

"Happy graduation kiddos!" He exclaimed, removing his shades as he hopped his way out of the car.

"Is this..." I stuttered, lost for words as I ran my hands through its shiny red hood.

"Yes. Since you and Carly are going to the same university together, Marissa and I decided to buy you something you could both use." Carly's dad answered for everyone.

"You bought us a car?" Carly still couldn't believe that this was our graduation present. I couldn't blame her. I was pretty shocked myself. Considering that it was a brand new car and it was Carly and I's conjugal property. Weird though. It sounded like we were already married.

Spencer then asked me to hold out my hand and when I did what he asked, he dropped something on it.

"You have your license with you?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's in my wallet." I replied.

"Then take it out for a spin!" Carly's dad exclaimed.

"Really? We can drive it now?" She asked them. I was still too shocked that I just stood there with the key in my hand.

The adults nodded except for my mom. "I don't think that's such--"

"Come on, Marissa. It's totally safe. And besides, they'll be driving this car when they get to Stanford. They might as well get used to it." Mr. Shay replied and my mom could do nothing about it but sigh.

Carly and I, upon receiving our guardians' approval, hopped inside the car quickly. She agreed to let me drive it first since she just wanted to enjoy sight-seeing and taking in as much Seattle air as she can. I turned the key in the ignition and the car slowly came to life.

"Ready?" I asked Carly.

"Soooo ready!" she replied.

"Be careful kids."

"Wear your seat belts."

"Don't beat the red light."

"Slow down."

"Drive safely."

"We'll see you at home."

When we thought they were done giving us instructions and safety precautions, I stepped on the gas and started to drive out of the school's parking lot. We didn't exactly know where we would go but Carly suggested that we just enjoy the ride and drive anywhere as long as we wouldn't get lost.

"Goodbye Ridgeway..." she mumbled quietly.

"You do realize that we are still wearing our graduation gowns, right?" I chuckled.

"I know." she replied but she made no move to remove it. "It just adds to this whole dramatic effect. We look like teens running away from home after graduation to get married in Vegas."

"You want to go to Vegas now and you know... get married probably?" I asked her playfully.

"Not until we're twenty-six." she giggled.

And I thought she forgot about the pact we made. I just smiled at her and continued driving. Carly stopped talking too but I could tell she was as happy as I was. We were driving together all around Seattle in a brand new car and things wouldn't get any better than this. Once in a while, I would glance at her and watch her hair fly. It was hard for me to keep my eyes on the road when she was sitting right next to me, looking as stunning as ever.

"Okay. We should totally name this car." She suddenly said out of the blue.

"Name this car?"

"Yeah. Spencer names his sculptures all the time. Come on. Let's come up with something." she said excitedly.

I paused for a moment and thought of random names we could call our graduation present.

"How about George?" I suggested.

I didn't know what was wrong with what I said because suddenly, Carly wouldn't stop laughing in her seat. I have always loved her laughs even though it was me or something I said she was laughing at. It was one of those things that could brighten up my day anytime, anywhere.

"What?" I asked, not even the slightest bit annoyed.

"Please tell me you're joking." She replied and I knew her well enough to tell that she was rolling her eyes at me.

"I am not joking." I told her.

"Seriously? You want to name our car George?" she asked.

"What's wrong with George? You named Sam's mustache George, remember?" I stated.

"That was for an iCarly bit! George is a cool name for a person but for a car, not cool!"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't see you coming up with a name."

That kept her quiet for a moment.

"Oh, I'm gonna come up with a better name than George. Mark my words, Freddie Benson." She crossed her arms stiffly against her chest.

"Ooh. I'm scared." I teased.

She groaned. "How about Jake?"

I shook my head. "No, no, no. We're not naming this car after 'Mr. Look-at-me-I'm-perfect'."

"At least it's better than George!" she pouted.

"It's not."

"It is."

"It's not."

"Carly..."

Who knew naming a car would be as hard as naming a new-born baby? And seriously, what the hell was wrong with George?

"I got it!" she suddenly exclaimed as if she just thought of the perfect name for our baby... I mean car.

"We're not naming the car after Shane either."

"Silly. I wasn't going to name it after Shane. But if you like, maybe we can..."

"No!"

"Alright! No Jake, no Shane. And no Ryan either." she replied.

"So, what about this brilliant name you came up with? It better be good, Shay!"

"Cukey!" she stated happily.

Did I hear it right? "Cukey?"

"You heard me!"

"Seriously, Cukey?" I mocked her.

"Yes. Isn't it brilliant?"

"Uh-huh."

"What's that 'uh-huh' supposed to mean?"

"Well... It kinds sounds like the names of those evil Japanese comedians combined together. You know... Kyoko plus Yuki equals Kyuki." I explained.

"It's not named after them. It's named after you! Don't you remember? Cute plus geeky equals Cukey."

Oh, right. It was the name she used to call me whenever I was talking about technology and stuffs back when we were... dating?

"So you really think I'm cute?"

"..."

"Silence means yes, Carly. I knew it! You think I'm cute." I grinned.

"Focus Freddie!"

"Seriously, Cukey?"

"You don't like it." she pouted again.

"Cukey it is."

* * *

**A/N:**

**What do you think? I couldn't think of any other names they could use. Haha. And I kinda like Cukey. I don't know if I spelled it right though. ^_^**

**Please read and review. Thank You!!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**CARLY'S POV**

I was busy running around my room, trying to remember if there were any other things I needed to bring with me to Stanford. I still couldn't believe that we were going to be college students. Summer had gone by so quickly but just like every other summer we had, I had so much fun with Spencer, Sam, and Freddie.

We did every fun thing we could think of including going to the beach, having a picnic in the park, biking all around Seattle at midnight, star-gazing at the roofdeck, and watching movies almost every night until the four of us would fall asleep. It was one of the best summers of our lives and I knew we were never going to forget about it for a long time.

"Kiddo? Can I come in?" Spencer peeked his head through my door and when I gave him a smile, he went inside and sat on my bed full of bags and one big luggage.

I made my way towards the other side of my room where my dresser and mirror were. I detached the pictures pinned on my mirror using double-sided tapes and inserted them between the pages of my pink diary I took out from the top cabinet of my dresser.

"You need help?" he asked as he watched me close the zipper of one of my backpacks.

"I'm done. Thanks." I shook my head and smiled at him before sitting on the space beside him. I rested my head on his shoulder and after a while, I felt him raise his arm up and wrap it around me.

"I'm gonna miss you so much." I whispered to him.

"Me too. I'll miss you and your two little friends who never seem to go home." he chuckled.

"I'm gonna miss your weird sculptures, your socks, and your oh-so-famous spaghetti tacos."

"You know how to make it, right? Or you can ask Freddie to make some for both of you." he suggested.

"It's not the same, you know." I laughed softly as I pulled myself away from him. "Can you promise me something?"

"Of course, kiddo. Anything for my baby sister." he smiled. I just loved it when Spencer would still refer to me as his 'baby sister' though I'm barely even a teen anymore. It made me feel like he still cared for me as much as he always did since I was a baby.

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself?"

"Weird. Shouldn't I be the one to make you promise me that?"

I just smiled at him. My brother tends to be careless and clumsy sometimes and I wouldn't want him getting hurt. "Just promise me."

He sighed. "I promise."

"And no more setting anything on fire this time." I added.

"But--"

"Ep, ep, ep!" I cut him off before he could protest.

"Alright. I'll try not to set anything on fire this time."

"Good boy." I teased and the next thing I knew, Spencer was already messing with my hair, twirling it on his hands purposely to make it look like I just got out of bed.

"Spencer!" I exclaimed, trying to stop him. When I realized he wouldn't stop, I just reached for his hair instead and have him a taste of his own medicine. Spencer was so strong and his arms were lengthy that I had a hard time messing with his hair.

"Carlyyy! Spenceeer! Are you guys here?"

We were so busy with our little 'mess your sibling's hair' fight that we didn't hear Sam was calling us repeatedly from downstairs. When we stopped and stood still, we laughed at each other before trying to fix our hairs using our hands.

"I better get your bags in the car." he suddenly turned serious. I just nodded at him and went downstairs to meet Sam.

"Hey." I greeted her with a hug when I found her inside our kitchen. Today was the same day she would be leaving for London. She promised me and Freddie last night to drop by our apartment before going to the airport. Until the very last day of her stay here in Seattle, she was still raiding our fridge for free food.

"Hey cupcake. I was just getting myself a-- Dude! What up with your sex hair?" she snickered, staring at my messy hair.

"My what?" I asked her, a little disturbed at the term she used to describe my hair.

"Sex Hair." she repeated as she smiled mischievously. "You know. The one your hair looks like after--"

"I get it!" I said quickly before she could even explain what a 'sex hair means'. It was pretty self-explanatory if you'd ask me.

Sam shrugged her shoulders and we both made our way towards the living room. We remained silent for a while, our minds finally processing what would happen later this day. I was starting to get anxious and I knew we have said goodbye thousands of times before this. We figured that would help us be a little bit more ready for today but it seemed like it wasn't working too well for me.

"So..." she paused, trying to start a conversation as we both sat down on the couch. "You ready for your trip tonight?"

"Yeah." I replied, not wanting to elaborate and discuss the subject further.

Before the silence and lack of something to talk about start to get things awkward between us, Freddie suddenly came in. He was holding a paper bag in his hand.

"Hey guys." he greeted.

"Hey." Sam greeted back while I gave him a nod.

"Here you go. I burned every iCarly episode in there including the video presentation I made for our final web cast. " I watched him rub the back of his neck with his free hand as he handed the bag full of CDs to Sam.

"Thanks Fredward."

I stood up from the couch and made my way towards them when Sam's phone suddenly rang.

"Hey." she answered it while Freddie and I listened. "Oh. Fifteen? Ugh! Okay, okay!"

"Who was it?" I asked her. She sounded too upset with the way she was groaning and rolling her eyes while she was on the phone.

"Melanie. She said they'll pick me up here in fifteen minutes." she said glumly as she watched for my reaction to change. She knew what was coming soon and Freddie did too.

"Saaaaaaam!" I cried as I reached for her. She caught me in her arms and started to pat my back gently.

"Don't cry. You know I can't stand to see you cry." she whispered in between sobs when we pulled apart.

"I can't help it." I sniffed. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"I know. It must suck to be stuck with nothing but a Freddie throughout college." she grinned. I knew her well enough to say that she was just trying to lighten up the mood. And I'd give her that. She made me smile like she always does.

"Hey!" Freddie yelled at her but his lips formed into a smile.

"Come here Fredward." she reached for him and I watched my two best friends in the world share such a tear-jerking moment.

I always knew they really cared about each other behind those insults and never-ending bickering. I was certain Freddie would miss Sam picking on him and Sam would miss Freddie's lame attempt at giving a come back. And honestly, I never thought I'd say this but I'd definitely miss myself stopping these two from killing each other. Those were the days...

"Fredward, I need you to promise me something." she told him as she hooked her arm around my waist.

"Anything." he replied.

"Promise me you won't let anybody, and I mean anybody, hurt this." she told him as she pointed her free hand at me.

"Sam."

"I promise." he blurted out without having any second thoughts.

I shook my head and giggled at the way they were all treating me. I didn't know if it should bug me or what but somehow, I kind of liked the way all of them were looking out for me, especially Freddie. Maybe that was why I wasn't worrying about anything when we get to start college. Because I knew that whatever happens, he would always be there to keep me safe. Promises or no promises.

"So... I better get going before my mom freaks out downstairs." she suddenly said.

"You want us to walk you to the lobby?" I asked.

"Nah. It's okay. Besides, Lewbert wouldn't like too many people in his lobby. The last thing I wanted is your nasty doorman screaming at me before I leave." she giggled as she started to head towards the door. Before Sam could open it, Spencer came in just in time.

"Hey guys." he greeted.

"Hey Spencer."

"Sam. I saw your parents and your sister downstairs. So are you going then?" he asked.

"Yup. Off to London." she answered before Spencer caught her in a tight hug. My brother also considered Sam as his sister and he was just as sad as me when he found out that she was leaving the country. Sam considered Spencer as the big brother she never had and I was sure he felt the same. Spencer cared for Sam like a little sister too.

"Take care kiddo. We're all gonna miss you." he whispered as he ruffled her hair.

"This is it." She waved one final goodbye and then she was out.

Watching Sam leave was very hard for me. I tried to tell myself that she was just going back to her house and I'd see her again tomorrow inside our kitchen as she searched for her daily supply of ham. But it wasn't the same. After she'd walk through that door, she would soon be in a plane to London and it'd take us months, or even years, to see each other again.

"Sam!!" I ran towards her and gave her one last hug. The tears I've been fighting came out of my eyes freely as I squished my best friend.

"Carly. We'll see each other again." she assured me as she wiped a single drop of tear from her own cheek with her finger.

I didn't respond. Or more of I couldn't. I was sobbing really hard.

"Hey. Cheer up. I promise to call regularly. And for all we know, one of these days, I might just surprise you in your dorm like a ninja." she smiled.

"Take care Sam." It was all I managed to say.

"I will. You too cupcake. And Fredward, don't forget your promise." she reminded Freddie who was standing behind me the whole time with my brother.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her." he replied.

Sam then gave each of the boys one last final hug.

"I'll walk you downstairs." Spencer offered as he let go of her. She nodded. Freddie and I just stood there and watched them go.

"I'm gonna miss that woman." Freddie muttered.

I then turned to him and soon, we were in a staring game again. I didn't know what exactly he saw in my eyes because suddenly, he pulled me towards him and crushed me in his strong arms. I rested my head against his chest and it was then when I realized that everything will be alright as long as I'm with him.

"I'm still here Carly. I'll always be here."

I always knew he would be.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sam will be back! I promise. ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10

**FREDDIE'S POV**

"I bought you another set of anti-bacterial underpants and put it in your luggage underneath all your clothes. Your vitamins are inside your backpack. The red one. I've also listed all of the phone numbers within Stanford you could call if there is an emergency…"

I was sitting on my desk, reading some of the comments our fans sent to our site while listening to my mother's infinite instructions and reminders. Honestly, all of the things what she was saying were just coming in and out of me. Don't get me wrong. I love my mom a lot and I appreciate every little thing she has done for me but I've heard them all hundreds of times.

"Freddie, are you even listening to what I'm saying young man?" she asked when she noticed I wasn't responding. "Anyway, I'll go see if Carly and Spencer are ready. You better put your laptop inside your bag."

I looked at the clock beside me and saw that it was already ten minutes after seven in the evening. Carly and I would be leaving for California soon. We happened to convince Spencer and my mom not to drive us anymore. At first they were reluctant but thanks to our convincing powers, they eventually gave in. Carly and I thought we needed to do this by ourselves. We were going to be independent and driving to Stanford was a good way to start.

"Freddie!" I heard my mom call from the living room.

I packed my laptop and put it inside my backpack before heading out of my bedroom. My other bags were already inside Cukey and so were Carly's. I shot my room once last glance before closing the door. This room reminded me of so many good things that happened for the past years. This was where Carly and I had our first kiss.

"Hey." I greeted them the moment I stepped out of the apartment.

Carly gave me a smile and so did Spencer. She was tucked under his brother's arms and I could just imagine how their final goodbyes went inside their apartment. Carly's eyes were still puffy and red and it was obvious that she was just crying. Spencer's face was serious and trust me, it rarely happened.

The four of us walked silently into the elevator and when it dinged, we all stepped outside only to be screamed at by Lewbert. None of us payed attention to him as we made our way towards the parking lot where Cukey was parked. Cukey. I still couldn't believe I let Carly name our car Cukey even though it made her admit, well almost, that I was cute.

I tossed my backpack on the backseat of the car and when I turned around, I saw Carly in the arms of his loving brother once again. I guess they weren't done with the goodbyes and I couldn't blame them. Spencer was Carly's guardian since she was seven and everybody could see that he really really loved his little sister. He almost went nuts when Carly, Sam, and I were being tested if we were qualified to do a web show in outer space for a few days.

The next thing I knew, my mom was pulling me towards her. She gave me a kiss on my forehead before crushing me in her arms. This was one of those times I'd let her do that without being embarrassed.

"Oh Fredward..." she mumbled.

"Mom, don't worry. I'm gonna be okay." I pulled away from her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Hey Freddo." I heard Spencer call my name. Carly was now standing beside him, wiping her tears silently. When Spencer opened his arms, I gave him a quick hug. I'd miss this guy terribly.

When I turned to Carly again, I saw her in my mom's arms.

"Take care of yourself Carly. You know I've always treated you like my own daughter." I smiled at what my mom said. "And who knows? Maybe when you get to Stanford, you'd consider dating my son."

"Mom!" I should have known she was going to say something embarrassing to Carly.

"Maybe." Carly giggled. "Thank you for everything Mrs. Benson."

"Don't mention it little lady." My mom smiled at her.

"We have to go Carly." I told her.

Before I hopped inside Cukey, I gave my mom one last hug. Carly did the same with Spencer and soon, she was sitting beside me. She didn't look sad anymore. Her face lit up again and I could sense she was getting excited every minute.

"Are you sure you don't want us to drive you?" My mom asked for the millionth time.

"We'll be fine, mom. We're gonna call every now and then." I assured her.

"Alright. You have the map?" she asked.

"Right here Mrs. Benson." Carly raised it up for my mom to see.

I started the engine and soon, we were good to go.

"Hey Freddie." Spencer called me once again. "Take care of Carly, would 'ya?"

"Of course Spencer. I promise. " I told him. Even though he didn't ask me that, I would definitely do it. I'd always make sure that she's safe and happy.

Carly and I gave them one final wave of goodbye before I stepped on the gas. Soon, the Bushwell Plaza was fading and all we could see were buildings and cars.

"Don't cry Carly. We'll come back here on Christmas break." I teased when I noticed she was being unusually quiet in her seat.

"I'm not crying!"

"Whatever you say Carly."

Carly giggled and rolled her eyes at me which I noticed from the corner of my eye. We were running out of things to talk about and I didn't want the silence to get things awkward between us. It was going to be long ride. If my calculations were correct, it'd take us more or less thirteen and a half hours to get to Stanford. I reached for the car's stereo to pop up some music when I felt Carly's fingers brush against mine. It turned out she was going to go for some music as well.

"Oh. Sorry." I shied away my hand and let her turn it on.

"It's okay."

The song that was playing was coming to an end and another song was beginning to play.

_I look at her and have to smile _  
_As we go driving for a while _  
_Looking nowhere in the open window of my car _  
_And as we go the traffic lights _  
_Watch them glimmer in her eyes _  
_In the darkness of the evening_

Was fate playing with us or was it purely coincidental that the station we were listening to was playing Passenger Seat?

"And I've got all that I need, right here in the passenger seat. Oh and I can't keep my eyes on the road knowing that she's inches from me." I sang along with the chorus of the song while looking at Carly once in a while with a grin on my face.

"Stop it." she said as she laughed at me. How could I stop singing when my singing disability was making her laugh?

_We stop to get something to drink _  
_My mind pounds and I can't think _  
_Scared to death to say I love her _  
_Then a moon peeks from the clouds _  
_Hear my heart that beats so loud _  
_Try to tell her simply_

"Come on Carly. You know you wanna sing with me." I teased.

"No, I don't." she laughed softly.

"Right here in the passenger seat..." I sang again. "Show me what you got Carls."

She just shook her head and continued laughing at me.

"You're no fun!" I complained.

"Oh really?" she crossed her arms against her chest.

"Yes."

"Oh and I know that this love grows..." Carly sang the line with me this time and we continued singing until the song ended. I've heard her sing quite a few times and I knew she had a wonderful voice but this time, it was different. I didn't know why but maybe because she was singing it with me and we were just having fun.

"Wow Freddie. The song really had a great effect on you." she teased.

"Is it my fault that the song was perfect? You know... We were driving and you were beside me? Come to think of it, I think it's entirely your fault!" I replied, getting back at her.

"Oh really? And why is it my fault Fredward Benson?" she giggled as she arched her eyebrow.

"If you're not sitting beside me, looking as gorgeous as ever, then maybe the song wouldn't have struck me that much."

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

"I guess you should."

The next few minutes were spent by laughing, giggling, and just teasing each other. Carly would nudge me on my sides playfully whenever I tease her and I would just watch her be my Carly from the corner of my eyes. We talked about things we never had the chance to talk about and even though we've been friends for almost forever, I was still learning some interesting things about her.

"Oh, look. That's the hotel Spencer told us about." I pointed it to her.

"Yeah, it's almost eleven. We better check ourselves in."

We left most of our bags inside Cukey's trunk and brought with us our backpacks containing our valuables and few pairs of clothes. Carly and I then proceeded to the check-in counter to get each of us a room. While I was talking to the hotel receptionist, Carly gave Spencer a ring to update him about what was happening with us.

"Two single bedrooms please." I asked the blonde girl sitting behind the counter.

"Freddie and I are checking in." I heard Carly say. "Aww, I miss you already too."

"Sir?" The receptionist called my attention. "I'm sorry but we only have one room left."

"Oh." One room. There was no way Carly would agree to share a room with me.

"Bye Spencer. I love you too." She bid him goodbye and then I noticed she was now standing beside me. "What seems to be the problem here?"

"They only got one vacant room." I answered her.

"One room." she repeated. She had her 'thinking face' on and I knew she was looking for any possible solutions to our little hotel problem.

I turned my attention back to the hotel receptionist. "Anyway, do you know by any chance if there are any other hotels--"

"We'll take it." Carly said happily.

"We'll what?" I asked.

"We'll take the room. I'm pretty exhausted." she replied.

The receptionist then handed us the key and we both proceeded to our room. I was still pretty shocked that Carly agreed to share a room with me. Of course, it didn't bother me. It's just that the events back in Japan suddenly came across my mind. I remembered Carly slapping me when that Japanese hotel lady said we were 'honeymoon couple'.

"You're not gonna slap me are you?" I asked out of nowhere as we entered our room.

"What? Why am I going to slap you?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing."

The room was pretty nice with the wallpaper and the furniture but it only had one bed. There was a television inside the room too but I don't think we still have the energy to watch some TV tonight. Honestly, I just couldn't wait to throw myself into the bed and visit my dreamland. But because I was sharing the room with Carly, I was positive that I'd be sleeping on the couch tonight.

"Can I use the bathroom first?" she asked.

"Help yourself."

I phoned my mom while Carly was inside the room. As expected, she still scolded me for calling a little bit late. It was really hard to phone someone when you're driving and having the best time with your best friend slash dream girl. But to save myself from being yelled at, I just apologized to my mom. It wasn't long until she enumerated everything she was reminding me this morning so I spent the next thirty minutes listening to her instructions again.

"Love you too. Bye." I pressed the red button and put my phone on top of the TV stand.

"I wonder who that is."

I turned around and saw that Carly was already out of the bathroom. She was now wearing her pink pajamas and a white sleeveless top. Her hair was still dripping from the shower and she had this smirk or on her face that made her look really sexy.

"Why? Are you jealous?" I grinned, not letting my hormones take over me.

"Maybe." she giggled. "If I didn't know it was your mom."

I rolled my eyes at her and grabbed my things to take a shower. While under the water, the events that happened this day were replayed inside my head. Sam leaving for London and Carly giving hints about possibly liking me. Among everything, the latter made me think the most. Could it be possible that Carly was falling for me too?

When I was done, I put on a white shirt and a checkered blue boxers. Carly was already on the bed, flipping through the channels of the television.

"Oh, good. You're done." she said without looking at me.

I went towards the bed and grabbed a pillow.

"Where are you bringing that pillow?" she asked as I put it on the couch.

"To the couch?"

She shook her head and smiled. "I trust you Freddie." When I didn't respond, she continued. "You had a long day. You deserve to sleep comfortably tonight."

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch." I told her.

"Who says I'm sleeping on the couch?"

"But you said-- oh." I paused. "Are you sure?

"Yes. You can sleep with me tonight." she replied.

"Nice choice of words." I teased as I grabbed the pillow and made my way towards the bed.

"You know what I mean. Meanie!" she stuck her tongue out before turning the television off.

I chuckled and put myself under the covers. I was careful not to be too close to Carly in case she didn't want me to invade her personal space. It wasn't hard to move though since the bed was huge for the two of us.

"Goodnight Carly." I reached for the lamp beside me and turned it off.

"Night Freddie." she replied and then I felt something soft touch my cheek.

I slept soundlessly that night and I had no idea if it was because of the goodnight kiss Carly gave me or because when I woke up this morning, Carly's head was under the crook of my neck and my arm was wrapped around her. I was sure she didn't know how we ended up in that position either with the way her cheeks turned pink this morning.

We checked out of the hotel after eating breakfast and soon, we were on the road again. It took us another nine hours or so and just before dinner, we finally arrived at Stanford University.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! ^_^**

**The words in italics are lyrics taken from the song "Passenger Seat" by Stephen Speaks.  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**CARLY'S POV**

Life in the university was fun. It wasn't something Freddie and I both expected. When we arrived here two months ago, the two of us became almost inseparable. Of course, we were in different departments. I was taking up a business course while he was pretty much occupied with computer programming courses. But since we were living in the same co-ed dorm, we could hang-out whenever we want. Freddie's room was on the upper floor of the building while mine was on the ground floor. We were still doing movie nights almost every week and during Friday nights, we'd both sit in front of his computer to chat with Sam.

Sam. My best friend was having the best time with her family in London. She stated happily that her mom never forgets to feed her again, and her dad was so cool. She was studying at Kingston University with Melanie and she said there might be a possibility that she'd visit us here next month. That was so awesome because I couldn't wait to hang out with Sam and Freddie once again. I'm sure we'd be having so much fun.

It was almost nine in the evening and I was in my room, browsing my textbooks. I could say I was studying but truth was, I was waiting for Freddie. He was on the swimming team try-outs and he promised I'd be the first one to know if he made it or not. But knowing Freddie, I was positive he'd make it to the team. He was even spending less time with me because he was busy practicing his strokes.

"Hey Carls." Finally! Freddie was here. I closed my textbook and spun my computer chair around.

"So?" I asked him. He grabbed the popcorn I made and sat on my bed. "How was it? Are you in?"

Freddie didn't answer. He just smiled at me and continued munching on my popcorn. I stood up from my chair and sat beside him before snatching the popcorn away from his hands.

"Hey!" he cried.

"Come on. Tell me!" I begged.

Freddie stopped struggling for the popcorn and just laughed at me. I put the bowl down on the floor and smacked his arm playfully.

"You're such a tease!"

"I know." he grinned.

"So I'm guessing you're in?" I asked him.

"How can you say so?"

"Because... There is no way you're grinning at me and teasing me if you didn't get in. Besides, if you're not in, you'll be looking like this..." I imitated his sad face, dropping my shoulders purposely, pouting my lips, and sighing.

"No, I don't look like that!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, you do!" I teased.

Freddie raised his eyebrow and the next thing I knew, he was tickling me on my sides which made me drop my back on the bed. I was squirming beneath him as he continued to attack me. He knew it was my weakness and he was clearly taking advantage of it.

"Freddie! Stop..." I chuckled.

"Nope. You asked for it." he smiled deviously and continued poking me on my sides.

"Pleaaaase..."

I successfully pushed him away from me. I immediately sat up and fixed my hair, still giggling about what happened earlier. Freddie was now standing beside my bed, fixing his clothes with his hands.

"Next time you do that, you're banned from my room forever!" I said, pointing my finger at him.

"In case you've forgotten, I have a duplicate key and you're the one who gave it to me." he smirked.

I held my hand out. "Okay, give me it! I want it back."

"Is that the way to congratulate your best friend for making it to the swimming team?" he put on his sad face again and instead of getting irritated at him, it actually made me smile.

"Oh don't be so melodramatic!" I rolled my eyes.

"Better behave, Shay, before I change my mind about celebrating tonight." he replied.

I crossed my arms stiffly against my chest and asked him. "And where are you planning to take me, Benson?"

"We're gonna go night swimming!" he said excitedly.

I groaned. "Night swimming?" I flopped myself on my bed and turned my back on him. "I think I'll pass. Goodnight Freddie."

I pretended to be asleep when I suddenly felt the additional weight on my bed. Soon, a pair of hands were gently shaking me from behind. "Come on! Get up."

"No!" I replied as I pulled the covers up to cover my entire face and body. "Go to sleep, Freddie!"

"That's cute Carly. Now... It's either you get up or you'll get it again."

I turned around and faced him this time. I was willing do anything to prevent him from tickling me again. "If I don't wake up early for my class tomorrow, you're soooo dead!" I warned him.

"Ha ha! It's Sunday tomorrow. Now, dress up and meet me by the car..."

"Cukey." I corrected him. I hated it when he forgets our car has a name.

"And meet me by Cukey in ten minutes."

Before I could even give my violent reactions, Freddie was already out of my room. I could only groan to myself and since he made up his mind, I might as well go with it. Besides, this was something to celebrate and it's the least I could do to show him how happy I was that he made it.

I stood up from my bed and rummaged through my closet for some swimsuit I packed along with me. This was the first time I'd go swimming since we got here. It was almost ten in the evening and he wanted to go night swimming instead of just going into a 24-hour coffee shop or something. Great.

I managed to find my purple two-piece and hurriedly put it on. I then searched for my white see-through sleeveless top and some shorts. I wasn't planning on jumping into the water with only my bikini on. I was too embarrassed to let Freddie see me in them. I didn't know why but I was becoming too conscious with myself whenever I was around him. It was unreasonable though since he was my best friend and he knew me for almost forever. But we were growing up.

When I was done, I put a pair of dry clothes and a towel in my pink duffel bag and went outside to meet Freddie.

"Hey." I greeted him. He was leaning against Cukey, tapping his foot purposely when he saw me coming.

"You're late." he said as he opened the passenger's door for me. I tossed my bag on the backseat before hopping inside. He then went to his side of the car and soon, we were driving in the dark streets of the university towards the gym on the other side of the campus.

We were the only people by the pool area and good thing it was indoors because I wouldn't want to catch a cold for swimming during the night. If it isn't for Freddie, there was no way I'd do this.

I gasped when I felt Freddie's hands under my knees. He managed to sweep me off my feet easily.

"Put me down!" I yelled at him. His grin turned wide and I could see in his eyes what he was planning to do. "Oh no, Freddie. No, no, no. Don't do it. Drop me. Now!" I demanded.

"I don't think so." he smirked.

"Put me down." I glared at him.

"Make me."

"I said drop me."

"As you wish."

I should have stuck with 'Put me down' because clearly, Freddie misinterpreted what I said. He threw me into the pool with such great force. I struggled to get my head out of the water and when I did, the first thing I saw was Freddie, still out of the water. He wasn't laughing but he had this satisfied look in his face that made me want to smack him.

"Get your butt in here, mister!" I yelled at him.

He smiled deviously before pulling off his black shirt. He jumped into the pool but he vanished in the water. I turned around and looked for him but he was nowhere.

"Freddie!" I screamed when I felt two hands on my shoulders from behind me.

"I'm here. Did you miss me?" he giggled.

"Meanie! I'm going to tell Sam on you!" I warned him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I can take Sam now. See?" he raised his arm in front of me and let me inspect his biceps. It wasn't there two years ago but it was true. With those muscles, he could take anyone. Though it was so tempting, I fought the urge to touch it and feel it.

"Who are you and what did you do to my Freddie?" I teased him instead.

"Oh Carly. I'm still the sweet tech-boy you kissed back then." He teased back. He was getting good at this game. I just rolled my eyes.

Freddie leaned closer to me and brushed away the strand of hair covering my face. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." he replied. "Besides, you look prettier without something covering your face."

I rolled my eyes once more and giggled.

"It's true!"

"So... are you gonna be in swimming competitions now?" I asked him, trying to change the subject.

"Yep. Promise me you're gonna be in every competition to watch?"

"Of course, silly. I'll be like your number one fan." I chuckled.

"Good. You're officially my personal cheerleader now." he smiled.

"You wish." I splashed him on the face with water before swimming away as far as I could.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I had fun writing this chapter. ^_^**

**Oh, and someone's gonna be back next chapter! I've already written half of it and I hope I could finish it before the week ends!**


	12. Chapter 12

**CARLY'S POV**

Friday afternoon. Current mood, sleepy. I was waiting for my class to end because I promised Freddie I'd meet him by the dorm's lobby to tell him the special announcement. It had something to do with things happening to me while he was busy practicing for the upcoming swimming competition tomorrow night.

I was proud of myself for not missing any of those competitions. Well, he has only competed twice. But at least I was always there to support him. He won second and third on those competitions but I believed he still has a long way to go. He was really promising and if there was one person who was the proudest of him, that would be me.

When our professor gave us the signal, I hurriedly grabbed my books and stuffed them inside my bag before walking all the way to our dorm. I didn't bring Cukey with me since Accounting was the only class I got every Fridays and the building was not too far from where I live.

I caught a glimpse of Freddie sitting on the lobby's couch while reading a sports magazine. When he tilted his head and saw me approaching, he went towards me and gave me a kiss on the cheeks like he always does.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." I smiled at him. "I missed you Freddie…" I said before crushing myself against his body. Freddie wrapped his arms around me and I heard him chuckle.

"You missed me already? But we just ate dinner together yesterday!" he replied. He gently pulled away from me but kept his hands on my shoulder.

I groaned. "Yeah. Dinner. That's it. But we barely spend time together because you are too busy practicing. You've been missing movie nights and two online sessions with Sam. She misses you."

"Really? She said that?"

"Uh, no. But I can feel it."

He laughed softly. "Come here." He pulled me towards him and literally crushed me with his strong arms. He also managed to lift me off the ground which surprised me a bit. "For the record, I missed you too."

"So... I was only gone for three months and this is the first thing I see when I visit."

Freddie dropped me in an instant and we both turned our heads to see who it was though judging from the mocking tone, we already knew who interrupted our moment.

"Saaaaaam!" I couldn't believe it! My best friend was standing by the dorm's main entrance. Sam dropped her backpack and soon, we were both jumping and screaming at the top of our lungs. Well, mostly it was just me because trust me, it would take a lot to make Sam do that.

"Girls! Can you keep it down a little bit?" I completely forgot Freddie was there with us. Well, what did he expect? It's been three months since we last saw each other and it was perfectly normal for girls to be giddy and excited.

"Fredwardo! I see you have changed a lot." Sam commented as she gave him a punch on the shoulder.

"Aww! Sam!" he exclaimed, rubbing the part where Sam's fist landed.

"Ahh. Still a nub, I see."

"Guys! Stop it!" How I missed saying that. And I was sure this isn't the last time they'd be hearing that line from me. I could only laugh to myself when my two best friends both stuck their tongues out and rolled their eyes at each other.

"Hey Carls. Aren't you supposed to tell me something important?" Freddie asked.

I looked at my watch. "Oh yeah. Let's just get Sam's things in my room then we could go already." Sam put on her backpack again before I grabbed both of their hands and dragged them towards my room.

"Are we eating? Sweet! Momma's hungry."

"When are you not hungry?"

"Shut up Freddifer."

"The name's Freddie."

"Whatever Fredalupe."

The bickering continued until we reached my room and it was still on-going when we went outside where Cukey was parked. As I got in on the driver's seat, my best friends took their fight to another level. And yes, I wasn't surprised.

"I'm sitting beside Carly." Sam stated as they both reached for the door's knob.

"This is my car."

"Do I look like I care?"

"Stop it guys." That's twice for the day.

"You sit at the back, Puckett."

"No, the backseat belongs to the nub."

"The car belongs to me, Fredward Benson."

"And Carly." I interrupted but no one seemed to hear me.

"And I'm gonna buy your share Fredwina."

"It's not for sale."

"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. It was one of the most effective ways to make these two monkeys to shut up. "Both of you sit at the back!"

"But mom!!!" Sam tried to protest and while she was distracted teasing me, Freddie managed to hop in the passenger's seat.

"Ha. One point for Freddie Benson." He smirked.

"Man! See what you did?" Sam said as she opened the backdoor and threw herself in.

"Quit whining Puckett and respect your mother!" Freddie joined the teasing.

"I am not her mother!" There was nothing I could do but to turn the engine on and start driving as I roll my eyes in the process.

"Are we playing house now?" Sam asked from the back.

"Yes. She's the mom, I'm her husband, and you're the annoying kid who should be dropped off here and never to be picked up again."

"Dream on Benson. Carly will never love you." That was her favorite insult.

"Sam!" I scolded her. I didn't want Freddie to feel bad.

"What? The truth hurts but he's gotta take it."

Finally. Everyone became silent. How I wished the three of us could be like this whenever we were together. But I had to admit, it wasn't fun. Sam and Freddie's bickering spiced up our friendship and being their little referee was one exciting job except when fists and feet would land on you accidentally. Most of them were from Sam because Freddie was trying his best not to hurt her.

"I still can't believe you're here Sam." I said happily as I made a right turn.

"Yeah. I thought I've seen the last of you three months ago." Freddie stated and I knew he was grinning in his seat.

I looked at the rear view mirror to see Sam's reaction to what he said and apparently, she didn't take it too well. I watched her lift her arm and give an unsuspecting Freddie a smack at the back of his head. That's gotta hurt.

"Aww!"

"You deserve it Benson!"

Freddie then turned to me. "Carly!!" he whined like a little child telling her sister on their mom.

"What?"

"Say something!"

"Sam..."

"He started it!"

"I know. But please. Stop hitting our tech-boy." I giggled.

"Oh!" I heard Freddie groan. "For two months I tried to be the best best friend you could ever ask for and now that she's back, I'm back to being the tech-boy. Thanks for hurting my feelings, Carly." he looked away from me and crossed his arms stiffly against his chest.

"Come on, Freddie. You know you're the cutest tech-boy slash best friend ever." I still tried to cheer him up though I knew he was just acting. I'd be really mad if he still wasn't aware how important he was to me and how thankful I was that he was my best friend.

"And what about me?" Sam whined from the backseat of the car.

I laughed. "You're my one and only meat-loving best friend in the entire world."

"How come he gets to be the cutest something? That's totally unfair! I'm sensing favoritism here." she accused playfully.

Freddie turned to her. "It's true. I'm her new favorite now." Though I couldn't see him, I was aware he was grinning at Sam.

I was quite surprised when she didn't hit him this time. Oh, wait. I guess I talked to soon.

"Carly!! She hit me again!"

"Don't believe him Carls. I did not hit him."

"You did! Twice!"

"Where's your proof?"

"Proof? Next time you're going to hit me, warn me first so I could get my camera and take a picture of you hitting me!" Freddie replied sarcastically.

I sighed and turned the engine off. "We're here. And seriously, please stop bickering. You're really getting on my nerves." I opened my door and got out of the car. Freddie and Sam followed me and I could hear them whispering to one another behind my back.

"See? You pissed her off."

"It wasn't me, Puckett."

I turned around and gave them each a sharp look. Freddie zipped his lips and put his hands on his pocket like a little angel while Sam bit her lip to control her laughter. When I was satisfied, I turned my back on them again and went inside Sushi Rox.

"Sushi?" Freddie asked as soon as we were seated.

"Food is food, Benson." Sam replied.

"So, Sam. How did you get here? I thought you won't be visiting 'til next week." I asked my best friend.

"My dad had a medical mission somewhere here so I begged him to let me come with him. He's gonna pick me up on Sunday afternoon and we're gonna stay at a hotel in LA. Then on Monday, we'll be flying back to London." she answered.

"You should have at least called or something."

"It's called a 'surprise' Benson."

Freddie rolled his eyes and turned to me. "So what's this special announcement about?"

"Oh. I want you guys to meet someone. He's gonna be here... now." I replied and just in time, the person I was waiting for appeared from the door. I raised my hand and waved at him. When he saw me, he smiled and immediately made his way towards us.

I stood up from my seat and met him halfway. I could see my best friends' eyes were following me.

"Guys, this is Brad. And Brad, I want you to meet my best friends, Sam and Freddie." I introduced them. I took my seat again and Brad sat across Freddie in our rectangular table.

"Hi guys. How are you doing?" Brad asked them politely.

"Good." Sam smiled at him.

"Bad." Freddie mumbled in his lowest possible voice that even I had a hard time hearing. I just wished Brad didn't catch that or else, there would be trouble.

"So... I presume you're dating him?" Sam asked and she had the same smirk on her face when she found out that I was dating Griffin, the bad boy who collects pee-wee babies.

"Kinda." I answered timidly.

"Tell me everything." Sam demanded. She put her hands under her chin and rested her elbows on the table. She looked like a child waiting for her grandmother to tell her a story.

I shook my head and chuckled. I noticed Freddie leaning forward to listen to the story too.

"Carly and I met the first day of gym class. I noticed her the first time she walked inside the gym. There was something in her that made it impossible for me to take my eyes off her. I was too shy to approach her but I guess she felt the same way about me..." he teased and then looked at me. "She approached me one time and asked if she could be my badminton partner. And that was it."

"Since when?" Freddie asked smugly.

"I really don't know how it started. After gym class, we would eat lunch together and sometimes he'd give me a ride back to the dorm. I've been spending a lot of time with him lately." I answered.

"And then yesterday, after we talked, we've decided to make us official." Brad continued.

The next thing we knew, Freddie was choking with his water.

"Oh my God, Freddie! Are you okay?" I asked him while rubbing his back.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he coughed one more time. "Anyway, I have to go. Swimming practice. I'll see you guys later."

"Now? But I thought--"

"Yeah, now." he stood up and nodded at Brad as a sign of goodbye.

"Bring Cukey with you. Brad can drop Sam and I off the dorm." I tossed him the key before he turned around and started to walk outside the restaurant.

"Somebody's jealous." Sam whispered and that earned her a kick under the table.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm hoping I wrote the trio's reunion well. It was a lot of fun writing Sam and Freddie's ultimate bickering. But don't worry, still a hardcore CREDDIE fan here. ^_^**


	13. Chapter 13

**FREDDIE'S POV**

"Hey Freddie! Are you ready man?" My swimming buddy, Tim, asked me as we changed into our trunks inside the locker room.

This was my third time to compete and I was really hoping I'd finish first this time. I spent a lot of time practicing even if it meant spending less time with Carly. But Carly never complained. In fact, she was so supportive. She would always encourage me and there were a few times when she'd watch and cheer for me during practice.

I couldn't make myself blame her for dating Brad. I was the one responsible for all their lunch dates and free rides. They spent more time together all because I was busy. I found it ironic that one of the reasons I joined the team was to impress Carly but it turned out that it was the very thing which would keep me away from her.

"Yeah. But I can't help to be nervous." I smiled at him before closing my locker.

"Carly's watching, I presume?" he chuckled.

My teammates knew her already. Who wouldn't forget Carly? When I won second on my first swimming competition, she immediately went inside our locker room to congratulate me after it was over without even thinking. The guys were in the midst of changing into their casual clothes. Good thing I was already dressed up. We were both playfully thrown out of the room and I ended up covering her eyes on our way out.

I nodded. "Yep. She promised she won't miss any of my swimming competitions. Anyway, we better head outside. Coach is waiting."

"I'll be out in a minute." Tim replied.

I gave him a tap on the shoulder before making my way outside the locker room. Carly was probably in the audience area right now. She was always too early and I bet Sam was with her.

I was in a hurry to go to our bench when a certain blonde-headed demon, who was supposed to be with my number one fan, stood before me.

"What are you doing here? Is Carly with you?" I asked, looking behind her but she wasn't there. "Where is she?"

"Carly sent me here. She wanted to me to tell you 'Good luck'. She said she'll be a little bit late. She's with Brad. Anymore questions?" She asked.

I sighed. "No more. Anyway, thanks." I smiled weakly at her.

"Dude! Don't worry. She's coming, okay? She wouldn't miss this. Now go out there and kick some butts!" she gave me a playful punch on my shoulder.

I laughed. "I will. Thanks, Puckett."

"Don't mention it, nub." I shook my head and smiled at her before we parted ways.

I made my way towards the bench where all the others were. They were already warming up. Coach told me to hurry up so I could join them. The competition would start anytime soon. I looked for Sam in the audience area and when I spotted her, I felt disappointed. Carly still wasn't there. And to make things worse, I was aware she was with Brad.

I wouldn't even try to deny the fact that I was jealous. I knew Carly made me promise that we wouldn't let the pact we made affect our future relationships. But she dated Brad during the time when I thought she was starting to see me in a different light. I guess I'll always be the 'other best friend'.

"I haven't seen your number one fan." Tim said as he took a seat beside me.

I shrugged. "Me neither."

"She has plenty of time to catch up. Free style's last this time." He winked. "Anyway, I better get in position. Wish me luck, dude!" He threw me the towel he was wearing and proceeded to the diving platform.

I shot another look at Sam's direction and unsurprisingly, she already knew what I was thinking. She shook her head in response and looked at the empty seat beside her.

The clock was ticking and the competition was now on-going. I tried my best to take my mind off Carly and her little boyfriend. Instead, I concentrated on the competition and watched my teammates go for the gold.

"Nice dude. Congratulations." I shook Tim's hand the moment he stepped out of the pool. He won second in Butterfly and was just a fraction of a second behind the champion.

"Thanks. But I think I could have done better." he smiled and shook his head before sitting beside me.

"There's always a next time." I smiled back.

"Is she here?" he asked as he dried his hair with the towel I handed to him.

I looked at the audience area once again but all I saw was my other best friend munching on her hotdog sandwich. The empty seat beside her was still an empty seat. I was starting to think that Carly wouldn't make it. Stupid Brad! He was taking Carly away from me.

"No. Maybe she's gonna miss this one." I replied smugly.

Tim and I continued to watch our other teammates and once in a while, I'd still look at Sam's direction. She would just shrug and give me an apologetic look whenever she'd see me staring at her.

"Freddie, you're up. Go get 'em!" Our coach said.

I immediately stood up and threw the towel covering the lower half of my body to Tim. He handed me my goggles and I was almost ready to go. I didn't bother to check if Carly was here anymore. I didn't want to disappoint myself. It was too late. She didn't make it. I guess she didn't want to be my number one fan anymore. Again, stupid Brad!

"Hey, man!" I was almost at the diving platform when Tim yelled at me. I turned around. "Look."

I followed the direction he was looking at and the moment I saw my favorite girl, every disappointment I was feeling a while ago instantly vanished. She was smiling at me and waving her hand, as if letting me know that she was there like she always was and she made it.

"Go Freddie! Woooo!" she screamed and danced. Sam was trying to make her sit but she was stubborn enough to continue cheering for me. Almost half of the people were looking at her and probably wondering if she's still in sanity. But Carly didn't mind. One of the things I loved about her, she doesn't care of what other people might think of her.

I gave her a smile to let her know how happy I was that she was there. But that smile vanished when my eyes caught a glimpse of the person sitting beside her. Brad! He didn't look quite interested on what was going on. If that was the case, then what was he still doing here? I'd really appreciate it if he would just go back to where he came from and leave Carly alone.

Well, at least she was here. I gave Carly one last smile before positioning myself on the platform. I put on my goggles and waited for the signal. I didn't know what was up but I've felt something burning inside me that I've never felt before. Suddenly, I was more determined to do my best and finish first this time.

The signal was given and we all jumped into the pool to do our thing. I only had one goal in mind, and that was to win. I wanted to impress Carly. I wanted her to be proud of me. After all, this was all for her. From the start, my whole world revolved around her and I wasn't planning on changing that. Carly was the reason why everything about my life fell into place.

A few more strokes in this final lap and I could see the end. I tapped the tiled wall of the pool and my head emerged from the water. At first, I could hear nothing but after a while, I heard noise. Cheering. I took off my goggles and saw Tim approaching me. He helped me get out of the water.

"You won!" he exclaimed.

"I did?" It still wasn't sinking into my brain. "I did! I won!"

I looked around and searched for the girl I wanted to share this moment with. But everything fell apart when I didn't see her. She was there before I jumped into the pool but now, her seat was empty again. I couldn't even find Sam at that moment. Despite the disappointment, I still managed to convince myself that maybe, they were on their way to congratulate me.

I waited but no one came.

Our team was the overall champion and the guys were rejoicing inside our locker room after the medals had been given. They were screaming and laughing and I thought I heard about a party afterward. But I wasn't in the mood to celebrate. I didn't imagine that my first championship would be something like this.

"Hey Freddie. There's a girl outside waiting for you." My other teammate winked at me as he passed by my locker.

Another hope splashed through me as I grabbed my things and said goodbye to my teammates while on my wait out. Could it possibly be Carly? It should be her.

"Hey Fredward! You did great!"

Sam. I should've known. If it was Carly waiting for me, my teammate would have recognized her. My excitement faded but still, I appreciated Sam's presence.

"Thanks. Where's Carly?" I found myself in a similar situation.

"She's off with Brad. She had to take him to the rest room in the middle of your race. He was puking like crazy in his seat. Can you imagine that? Gross!"

I sighed then smiled weakly at her. "Come on. Let's head back to the dorm."

Sam and I went outside and drove off to our dorm in silence. She didn't insult me or anything. I guess she knew what I was feeling that night.

"Anyway, Carly said we could still watch a movie tonight. She expects you to be in her room at exactly seven." she stated.

"Can I pass? I'm feeling very tired and I just want to--" she punched me on the shoulder really hard this time before I could even finish what I was trying to say.

"I'm leaving tomorrow and you're gonna pass?" she asked hysterically.

"Well..."

"Don't start, Benson. If I have to drag you out of your room, I'm gonna do it. You know me, Fredwardo. Momma doesn't take no for an answer." she warned me.

"But--"

She punched me one more time and I've decided that now was the best time to shut up. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel in case another one of those punches would land on me.

If I wasn't too afraid of Sam, I bet I'd just sleep on my bed tonight while trying to stop myself from being mad at Carly. It wasn't her fault that her boyfriend got sick in the middle of my race. But still, she broke her promise.

"So, are you in?" Sam asked once again the moment I turned the engine off. She got out of the car and I followed her soon enough.

I grabbed my duffel bag from the backseat and made sure that Cukey's doors were locked. I could tell Sam was waiting for my answer by the way she was tapping her foot on the ground.

"I'm waiting, Benson."

I groaned. "If I have a choice, I would say no. But since I don't, then what can I do?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "You're such a drama queen."

"Thank you!" I replied sarcastically.

"Anyway, I gotta help Carly set-up. See you in two hours."

* * *

**A/N:**

**What do you think about the pace of the story? Slow? Fast? Just right? Anyway, I know this chapter barely contains Carly-Freddie moment but I want to assure you guys that there will be much much more CREDDIE to come. ^_^**


	14. Chapter 14

**CARLY'S POV**

"What did he say? Is he coming?" I asked Sam the moment she stepped inside my room.

I was waiting for her and Freddie to arrive from the swimming competition. After I made sure that Brad was okay, I left his apartment and started to walk towards the dorm. I couldn't help myself from getting irritated at my boyfriend. He made me break my promise to Freddie. And I wouldn't be surprised if he was mad at me. I screwed up.

"He's coming." she smirked and I knew there was a meaning behind that.

I raised my eyebrows at put my hands on my waist. "What did you do, Sam?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, raising both her hands up. "I just said if he doesn't come, I'd drag him out of his room. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

I just shook my head and smiled at her. I was glad she 'threatened' Freddie because I really wanted to talk to him and apologize for not being there.

We logged on to our site while we were waiting for Freddie. It was just 5:30 in the afternoon and he had plenty of time to rest and get ready for our movie night.

Sam and I were both overwhelmed with the messages, videos, and comments we received from our fans. Most of them said they really miss iCarly and they can hardly wait for the web show we promised we'd do. Our twitter followers were also saying the same thing.

Suddenly, an idea clicked in my head. "Hey. Why don't we take a picture when Freddie gets here and then we can post it up on the site for our fans to see?"

Sam turned her head to me. "That's brilliant. I really like your brain."

"I like my brain too." I laughed before I stood up from my seat next to Sam and went to the telephone directory resting on top of my bedside table. I ordered pizzas for dinner since it was Freddie's favorite food. After I ended the call, I went back to Sam just in time to read what she just tweeted using iCarly's account.

_Freddie made it to Stanford's swimming team. He won his first gold today. Send the nub your congratulations. :D -Sam_

"Tweet something about you." I told her and she started typing again.

_Here at Stanford U. Visiting my favorite girl and our dork. Having a blast hanging out with them. Will tweet pic later! -Sam_

Moments later, tweets from our fans were starting to flood our screen. Most of them were about Freddie winning the gold earlier today. The rest were saying that they couldn't wait to see the pics later. Some were asking about me. 'What's new with Carly Shay?' or 'How is Carly doing?'.

I was thinking of something to tell them but I couldn't think of any. Nothing very exciting was going on with my life. Unlike Freddie, I wasn't a member of any clubs here in the University.

_Carly's dating someone named Brad. He's a basketball player. Freddie's jealous as usual. Aww. :( -Sam_

"Saaaaaaam!" I shrieked which made her jump before she could even press 'Tweet'. Soon, we were fighting over the keyboard of my laptop. I was pressing the backspace button and Sam was yanking my hand away while retyping the letters I erased with her other hand. Arms were flying everywhere.

"Carlyyyyy! Stop!" she yelled at me but I wasn't giving up.

"Noooooo! Sam!"

Both of us stopped fighting as we listened to the soft knocks on the door. We suddenly looked at each other, anticipating what our next moves would be. Our hands remained frozen but they were still entangled over the keyboard.

"Answer it." she said sharply.

"No. You answer it."

"If Freddie leaves, it's fine by me. How about you? Do you want him to leave?" she grinned.

My senses came back to me and I immediately snatched my hands away from the laptop to open the door for Freddie. I would never forgive myself if he would leave all because I was busy stopping my best friend from tweeting something which wasn't really a big deal.

"Hi Freddie." I greeted him but he didn't greet back. He just gave me a weak smile before walking in and sitting on my bed.

He was mad, alright. I sighed then closed the door. When I turned around, I saw Sam staring at me with that devious smile plastered upon her face. Her hands were hidden behind her back. I could tell she was trying to look innocent but that was when she's most dangerous.

"What are you guys doing?" Freddie asked curiously and I was sure he was intrigued by the way Sam looked that moment. He stood up from the bed and slowly made his way towards Sam and my laptop.

Before he could reach her and see what she did, I ran towards them and pushed Sam gently out of the way to cover my computer, making sure she wouldn't fall to the ground. I then raised both my hands sidewards to prevent Freddie from going any further.

I heard him chuckle lightly as he took another step forward.

"Carly!" Sam whined beside me. "That was totally uncalled for!"

I ignored her and focused on Freddie. I'd just apologize later.

"There's nothing to see in here!" I was starting to panic.

He chuckled once again and shook his head. "If there's nothing to see, then why are you so afraid?"

"Well..." I paused, thinking of possible reasons I could use but my brain wasn't working well. "Sam! I think it's time to take the pictures!"

Sam crossed her arms against her chest and raised her eyebrow at me. "No way. I'm enjoying this." She then turned to Freddie. "Go on Fredward. Two more steps forward."

Freddie laughed softly and followed her. "Like this?" he asked her.

"Yes. And one more." she grinned.

Freddie did what she said and he was now inches away from me. He was looking directly into my eyes and soon, I was drowning in them. I didn't even know that my arms were slowly returning to my sides because I was too busy staring at his chocolate brown eyes. I have never noticed how expressive they were before.

The next thing I knew, he was already peeking over my shoulder and I could only watch his eyebrows furrow in frown as he read what Sam had just tweeted.

"I'm sorry." I told him the moment he leaned back again.

"It's okay." I could see in his eyes that it wasn't. "I already know about it anyway."

Freddie walked over to the bed while I remained frozen in my spot. Sam was still standing beside me, not talking either. There was a deep silence that ensued inside the room and no one wanted to break it.

"Pizza's here!" Sam exclaimed when we heard another set of knocks on the wooden door.

I searched for my wallet inside my school bag beside my laptop and took out some bills. When I turned around, Sam was already carrying two boxes of Pizza and Freddie was talking to the delivery guy. He had his wallet taken out.

"What are you doing?" I went towards him and asked.

"Paying for the pizza?" he replied as he closed the door after giving money to the boy.

"Here." I handed him the money but he just looked at my hand.

"It's okay." he replied as he closed his hand around mine and pushed it away gently.

When we turned around, we caught a glimpse of Sam on top of my bed, and eating a slice of the pizza that had just been delivered. She noticed we were looking at her so she put the piece back in the box and acted like nothing happened.

"I can't believe you!" I exclaimed, shaking my head before sitting beside her on the bed.

"What? I'm hungry!" she replied.

"You could have waited for us. But no... You already ate a piece while Carly and I were paying for the pizza." Freddie mocked as he sat on the carpet near the foot of my bed.

"Actually..." I inspected the box she opened. "She's eating her second slice."

I bit my lip to control my laughter while Freddie shook his head and smiled. I was really glad Sam was here. She was making me feel less awkward with Freddie. It was just like the old times, back when there weren't any Brad or swimming competitions I had missed.

Sam flicked the remote and the movie we were going to watch started soon. I let her pick the movie earlier since she was our visitor. She chose 'Serendipity' which I liked a lot too. Freddie didn't seem to mind either. That was another thing I liked about him. He was never afraid to admit that he likes these kinds of stuffs. Who wouldn't want a guy like him?

"Do you believe in fate and destiny?" I suddenly asked Sam during the movie.

She looked at me confusingly. "I don't know. Haven't thought about that."

Of course. I laughed softly at my best friend's response and turned my attention back again to the television. The three of us seemed pretty attached to it that no one talked the whole duration of the movie. When I turned it off, Freddie stood up from sitting on my carpet and stretched himself out.

"That was a good movie. Anyway, I better head back to my room." Freddie said.

"No, no, no." Sam stood up from the bed. "No one's going yet."

Freddie and I watched her rummage through her backpack. When she seemed to find what she was looking for, she turned to us with a wide grin on her face. She was holding in her right hand her brand new camera her dad bought her.

"We promised to tweet pics for the iCarly fans." she explained in expense of Freddie before positioning it on top of my desk. After fixing the settings, she grabbed both of our hands and dragged us.

Sam stood between me and Freddie, putting both her arms over our shoulders. I hooked mine around her waist and leaned towards her while waiting for the camera to take its shot. The second flash indicated that it was done and Sam rushed towards it soon.

"Awesome." she commented as she looked at the picture. "Here, Freddie. Take a picture of me and Carly." she handed the camera to Freddie, who smiled and accepted it willingly. Seeing Freddie hold a camera, even not like the one he used to carry in iCarly, brought back happy memories to me.

"Carly." Freddie called.

I blinked. "Yes?"

"Smile?"

"Oh." I did what he asked as he took Sam and I's picture. After it was done, I reached for the camera from him. "I'll take you and Sam's."

Freddie walked over towards Sam. They were both figuring out on how to pose for the camera. Freddie hesitated to put his arm around her shoulder when she glared at him. I could only smile at my two best friends' awkwardness. In the end, they've just decided to stand closer together and lean towards each other.

"Your turn." Sam said and took the camera away from me. I walked slowly towards Freddie and stood beside him. He had his hands in his pockets so I had a hard time thinking of what to do with mine.

"You two act like you don't know each other." Sam rolled her eyes. "Closer."

Freddie chuckled softly while I gave Sam a weak smile. I had no idea why but I couldn't move closer to him. It was as if there was a barrier between, separating us from each other. I knew something was wrong. Freddie was treating me differently and I could feel it.

"Come here, Carls." he suddenly said before grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him gently. I almost lost my balance out of shock but when I felt his hand wrap around my waist, I felt secured. His grip was tighter than usual but I didn't mind. He leaned his head sidewards that it rested against mine. Sam didn't even need to tell me to smile because the happiness I was feeling came out naturally.

"Perfect." Sam remarked.

And I couldn't agree with her more.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm excited to post the next chapter. It's almost done. ^_^**

**Thanks to all those who read and review. I really, really appreciate it. **


	15. Chapter 15

**FREDDIE'S POV**

We were standing just outside our dormitory while waiting for Mr. Puckett to arrive. Sam's visiting days would be over soon. It was time for goodbye once again but thankfully, this one wasn't as emotional as first. Maybe because we knew that we'd see each other soon again.

"Can you spend Christmas break in Seattle?" Carly asked.

"I'm gonna convince my dad." Sam replied as she gave Carly one quick hug before she turned to me. "You guys better fix whatever is going on between you two. Especially you, Fredward."

"What?" I asked, startled. "There is nothing between us. I have nothing against Carly."

"You're just saying that, Benson. Momma has a way to know things."

"Yeah, Sam." Carly backed me up. "Freddie and I are okay."

"You better be. Unless you want me to come back here and make both of you wear ponytails so I can yank them off until you two make up!" she warned and the three of us laughed like we used to.

Soon, a cab pulled over in front of us, revealing a very composed Mr. Puckett. I could tell where Sam got her eyes from. The resemblance between them was evident but I couldn't believe that someone as formal as him could be related Sam.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Puckett." Carly and I greeted him as he approached us to help Sam carry her bags.

"Nice to finally meet you, Carly." he shook her hand and turned to me. "And you must be Fredweird?"

I glared at Sam as I shook her father's hand. "Actually, It's Fredward. But people call me Freddie."

"Oh. Sorry about that." he apologized before turning to his daughter. "Are you ready to go, kisses? It's getting dark. We have a long way to go."

Carly and I looked at each other and giggled at the term he used to call his daughter. Kisses. It was kind of cute actually. Maybe I could also use it as a term of endearment for Carly. I just wanted to see what her reaction would be.

Sam rolled her eyes when she thought her dad wasn't looking. "Come on, dad." She dragged him towards the cab and waved one last goodbye.

"Bye Sam!"

"Take care, Puckett."

As soon as the cab was out of sight, Carly and I both turned around to go back to our respective rooms. None of us had the courage to speak first. Sam was right. I was holding a grudge against Carly no matter how much I didn't want to. And I knew Carly was feeling it. Things haven't been the same between the two of us since Brad came into the picture and took Carly away from me. But who was I to complain? She was never mine in the first place.

"Say Freddie..." she broke the silence as we went inside the lobby. We stopped walking and we turned to face each other. "Would you like to go somewhere to hang-out?"

I thought for a moment. "I uh... I have loads of homework to catch up on."

Her face instantly dropped and that almost made me take back what I said. I hated seeing Carly sad and low. For a moment, I thought of capturing her in my arms and dragging her out of here after. But my stupid pride took over me.

"Oh. Okay. I guess I'll just see you later." she was looking at the floor as she spoke.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Later."

And we both went our separate ways.

I sat on my desk when I got into my room and thought of the encounter that happened a while ago. I knew I shouldn't have done that to Carly because honestly, there were really no homeworks. And now, I was stuck in my room, with nothing to do. Worse, I was feeling guilty.

I turned on my laptop and decided to log on to twitter. The messages sent to the iCarly account were very touching. I was tempted to thank each and everyone who congratulated me but I realized it would take me forever to finish. In the end, I've just decided to read them all.

There were also some comments about the pictures we uploaded last night but what shocked me the most were the ones about Sam's last tweet about Carly dating Brad.

_'I wish Carly would dat_e _Freddie instead.'_

_'Carly and Freddie look good together.'_

_'Poor Freddie. Carly needs to open her eyes.'  
_

_'Carly should dump Brad and date Freddie.'_

_'Kill Brad!'_

I found it amusing that our loyal fans were already hating on Brad. I was debating on whether to tweet or not. I've got the perfect response in my mind and I was sure, it would make them happy. The last thing I wanted was our fans somewhat hating on Carly because of dating someone who wasn't me.

_'Don't worry guys. I'm never giving up on Carly. :) -Fre  
_

Before I could finish typing, I felt a pair of hands clasp around my neck and a chin on top of my shoulder. I was a little bit surprised at first but judging from the sweet scent that flooded my nostrils, I relaxed a little bit and savored the moment. It's not everyday that Carly gets to wrap her arms around you without you knowing.

"I'm sorry Freddie. Please don't get mad anymore." she whispered in that cute voice I couldn't resist.

I smiled though I knew she couldn't see me. I placed my hands on her wrists and carefully removed them around my neck before spinning my computer chair around to face her.

"I am not mad at you." I told her, still holding both of her hands.

"Yes you are." she pouted. "You're giving me the cold shoulder and I don't like it."

I have always wondered why I could never stay mad at Carly especially when she was being touchy, mushy, and cute at the same time. Everything I felt about her recently vanished into thin air and it was replaced by happiness and amusement.

Without responding to what she said, I dragged her out of the room and into Cukey. She kept asking on where I was going to take her or if it meant I wasn't mad at her anymore but every time, I'd just smile at her and keep quiet while driving towards the western side of the campus. I was sure she'd love the place. I did.

"Where are we?" she asked as we stepped out of Cukey. Again, I didn't answer. Instead, I grabbed her by the elbow and lead her towards the lake Stanford is famous for.

Lake Lagunita was one of the most amazing places here in the campus. During spring, flowers of different colors, types, and sizes would bloom, accentuating the spectacularity of the lake itself. At night, it was special. The moonlight's reflection spread perfectly all over the water.

"Wow. I never thought such an amazing place exists here in Stanford." she stated when we finally arrived under the shade of the oak tree near the lake.

I smiled at her before lying down on the ground with both my hands under my head.

"What are you doing?" she laughed.

"Star-gazing. You could try it if you want. It's free." I chuckled, patting the space beside me.

Carly hesitated for a moment but ended up doing what I said. She lay down beside me and we both looked at the beauty above us. Millions of stars were illuminating the darkness of the sky and the moon was at its brightest that night. The coolness of the wind was brushing against our skin.

I never realized how lucky I was to be lying here, surrounded by nothing but perfection. Perfect night, perfect scenery, perfect ambiance, and of course, the perfect girl.

"You're right. It's beautiful." she mumbled, snapping me out of my trance.

Silence.

"So... how many college girls have you brought here?" she suddenly asked without taking her eyes off the sky.

"That depends." I replied.

"Depends on what?"

"On how many are you."

Carly laughed softly. "You're so cheesy!"

I've never brought anyone here aside from her. Well, it was because I just learned about this place last week. Tim was describing it to me during practice. My first time here was when Carly introduced Brad to Sam and me at Sushi Rox. There really wasn't a swimming practice that day. I just wanted to get out of there and be alone for a while.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was mad at you. It's just that, I was disappointed when I did not see you after the race. You know how important your presence is to me." The words came out of me.

I heard Carly sigh. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I broke my promise. But Brad got really sick so I took him to the men's room. He was puking like crazy in his seat. Can you imagine that? Gross!" she giggled.

I laughed.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just that you and Sam said the exact same thing." I replied.

"Oh." she giggled again. "But believe it or not, I was there. I left Brad in the rest room and watched you finish first. You were really good."

Now that she said that, I felt guiltier than before. Carly was there after all. She never broke her promise. She was still my number one fan. "You were there?"

"Yeah. I was jumping and screaming too, you know. I wanted to run to you and hug you to say congratulations. But there were too many people surrounding you and I badly needed to take Brad home. I felt really bad after that. I was even a little bit annoyed at Brad. He made me miss your race." she chuckled.

"That's okay. The fact that you were there even though I didn't see you guarantees your spot as my number one fan." I smirked.

"I'd be really mad at you if you give that title to someone else." she replied. "But seriously, based from what I saw yesterday, I'd say you already have lots of fans. Lots of girls were screaming your name. Soon, I'd just be one of them."

"You know you're not just another face in the crowd. You're the one and only person I want to dedicate everything to."

She chuckled. "Enough, Benson. You're making me blush."

I just laughed and there was silence once again.

"Carly?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled.

"Are you..." I took a deep breath before I continued. "Are you happy with Brad?"

It took her a long time before she replied. "Don't you think it's a little bit early to ask? We've just been dating for three days."

Shes got a point. But was it really that hard to answer if you're happy or not with someone? Maybe Carly wasn't that happy with him. "Yeah. But you've known him since the first day. Are you happy with him?" I repeated the question.

If Carly would answer yes, I'd quit bugging her about him. All that mattered to me was her happiness. If she's happy, then I'm happy. It was a common denominator of hopeless romantics like me. We lived by the phrase though truth was, we were really wishing that our loved ones would be happier with us. Sometimes, showing them that we're happy for them was our own way of moving on.

"Brad makes me happy sometimes." she suddenly said. "But this is different."

I closed my eyes, anxious to hear what she would say next. When she didn't hear me respond, she continued to explain.

"Lots of people make me happy. Spencer, Sam, Gibby, Brad..." she enumerated but she never mentioned my name. "But sometimes, when I'm really down, I just pretend to be happy for the people around me. Carly Shay is known for being perky and happy-go-lucky but there are also times when I feel so low and sad and lonely. When I'm with you, it's nothing like that. I don't have to pretend that I'm happy because when I'm with you, no matter what I'm feeling... it just happens."

My whole world stopped upon hearing what she had to say. I never knew that she was feeling that way whenever we were together.

"You make me happy too." I told her when I gained the ability to speak again. "You always do."

Her words encouraged me to search for her hand and intertwine it with mine as we lay under the stars. It was funny how our hands fit together perfectly. Back then, when I'd try to do this, she would snatch her hand away and lecture me about busting moves again. But this time, she didn't. She even closed her hand and secured our fingers together.

"By the way, I read what you were about to tweet a while ago." she giggled.

Oh, shit. I wasn't even planning on posting it. I just wanted to type it to get it out of my chest and erase it after.

"I mean it, Carly. I'm never giving up on you." I confessed as I brought our hands to my chest. I wanted her to hear and feel my heartbeat, its slow and heavy thumping.

Carly mumbled something as a response but I didn't quite understand it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Oh..." I muttered. "Carly?" I placed her hand on top of her stomach and let go so I could prop myself up on my elbow to face her. Her eyes were closed. She looked like she was sleeping except for that little smile tugged on her lips which I have always adored.

"Mmm?" she mumbled. "What is it, Freddie?" she opened her eyes and stared into my eyes.

"I uh... I'm really happy you're here with me."

I wanted to smack myself in the head because believe me, that wasn't what I wanted to say to her.

* * *

**A/N:**

**What did Carly mumble that Freddie didn't understand?**

**What did he want to tell her?**

**^_^  
**

**My favorite chapter so far!  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**CARLY'S POV**

"Hey Carly…" Jenny called as I rose from my seat.

"Oh. Hey Jen. What's up?"

I stuffed my books inside my bags and walked with her and some other girls from the class. Jenny was one of my closest friends in Stanford and often times, she and her friends would invite me to hang-out with them. They were the ones I usually spent time with whenever Brad and Freddie were both unavailable. It kinda sucked that the two men in my college life were varsity players. I had to compete with their tight practice schedules and stuffs.

"The girls and I were just talking about hanging out at the Sushi Rox. Wanna join us?" she asked.

"I would…" I paused. "But I can't."

We stopped walking just outside the classroom and the three of them turned to me.

"I made plans with Freddie." I explained. "Sorry. Some other time though."

Jenny raised her eyebrows at me. "Freddie? The boyfriend?"

I chuckled. "No. The best friend."

"It seems to me it's the other way around. You're spending more time with the best friend rather than the boyfriend." she laughed and I just shook my head and smiled.

We then caught a glimpse of Freddie approaching us. He promised to pick me up after my last class today since Brad was unavailable once again.

"Hey kisses." he teased as he put his arm around my shoulder.

He was doing that all the time now. But I didn't really mind. It felt nice, like he was always protecting me from something. I looked at Jenny and noticed she was smirking. The girls were giggling behind her too.

"Freddie, you already met Jenny, right? And that's Aya and Susie." I introduced them.

"Hey girls." He greeted them, flashing his white teeth as he gave them his smile that could make any girl's knee go weak.

Since he joined the swimming team, girls were almost always over him and it was bugging me. But the best thing about it was, Freddie was never the type of guy who enjoyed that much attention. He'd rather spend time with me than take advantage of girls swooning over him.

"I didn't know that the boyfriend..." I glared at Jenny. "I mean best friend is this cute. No wonder you want to skip Sushi Rox with us and just spend time with him."

"Ah, thank you." Freddie replied and I could tell that Jenny was trying to flirt with him by the way she tucked a strand of her red locks behind her ear or the way she batted those eyelashes. No matter how much I like Jenny, she was annoying the hell out of me now. And worse, Freddie looked like he was enjoying it!

I elbowed Freddie on his sides gently and it made him jump a little. Good thing he knew what that elbow meant or else he's going to get more of that. Believe me, there was plenty more where that came from.

"Sorry girls. But we have to go. Our baby's waiting for us." he turned to me and winked.

"Baby?" Susie asked, startled.

"Yep. Carly and I have a baby." he replied casually, enjoying this little inside joke between the two of us. I figured I'd let him have his little fun.

"Since when?" It was Jenny's turn to ask questions.

"Just after our high school graduation." I answered, my turn to wink at Freddie after.

The girls' eyes became wide and their mouths were left hanging open. The sight of them were cracking us up. So before they could have a heart attack, Freddie and I decided to tell them the truth about our precious little baby.

"Relax, guys. We were talking about Cukey." I chuckled.

"You named your baby Cukey?" Aya asked again.

"Cukey is our car. It's our parents' graduation gift to us. Carly named him... or her. She used to call me Cukey back when we were uh..." he shot a glance at me as if he was asking my permission to continue his explanation, "when we were still in Seattle. Cukey stands for cute and geeky."

"Well, you are kinda cute." Jenny. I rolled my eyes when I thought she wasn't looking. Freddie was giggling beside me as he tightened his grip on my shoulder.

"You think so?" he asked her.

"Of course. Maybe we could--" She was going to ask him out!

I removed his hands from my shoulder and grabbed his wrists. I was getting ready to drag him out of here before he and Jenny could... could what? Ugh. I don't even want to think about it.

"Sorry girls. We have to go." I said.

"Oh. Bye Carls." Jenny waved me goodbye without even looking at me. Her eyes were still on Freddie. "Call me?"

I yanked Freddie's hand and forced him to turn around and walk away with me. He was so going to be in trouble.

"Sorry Jenny!" he yelled over his shoulder as we were making our great escape. "Carly has already taken my heart!" he laughed as he removed my grip on his wrists. I frowned but soon, I found out that he just did that only to lace our hands together.

Okay, maybe he wasn't going to be in so much trouble like I thought.

We were still laughing as we hopped inside Cukey in the building's parking lot. While Freddie was busy turning the engine on, I gave him a playful nudge on his side.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For telling those girls that I've taken your heart." I was still giggling as I answered him. "What if they tell Brad about it? I can just imagine Jenny spilling it to Brad just so she could get rid of me and hook up with you for good!" It was really weird for me not to worry about them telling on Brad. I was more worried about the fact that Jenny was already crushing on Freddie.

Freddie laughed as he started to drive around towards our dorm. "I could kick your little boyfriend's butt easily." He joked.

"I'm gonna tell Brad!" I warned him and we both laughed our heads off.

"So why did you decline their Sushi Rox invitation?" he asked when we finally caught our breath from all the laughter.

"I promised you, didn't I? Friday is 'wash Cukey' day." I replied at him.

"No." he paused, smirking. "Friday is 'jealous Carly' day!"

Oh. no. he. did. not.

"You just wish, Benson!" I crossed my arms against my chest and rolled my eyes at him.

He laughed as he parked the car. "Believe me. My wish came true. Carly Shay, jealous of her friend Jenny who's crushing on her hot best friend, Fredward Benson. Maybe I'm going to tweet that later. Sam would be so proud of me." he teased again, showing me that dimples of him that only come out whenever he finds something amusing and he can't stop smiling about it.

I stuck my tongue out and pouted. Freddie, clearly amused with himself, got out the car and went on to the other side to open my door for me. Just to get back, I ignored him and refused to get out of Cukey.

"Time to get out, Carls." he said.

"I don't want to." I replied, still not looking at him.

Freddie laughed softly. "Enough drama, kisses. Come on. Cukey needs some cleaning up."

"Stop calling me kisses!" I whined, glaring at him.

"Then get out of the car!" Did he just shout at me?

"Are you yelling at me?" I raised my eyebrows and turned to him.

"I'm sorry, kisses. Let me say that again." he cleared his throat before he continued. "Will you please get out of the car now, honey?" he asked sweetly.

"No!"

Freddie groaned. "If you don't come out..."

"What?"

He groaned yet again before scooping me off my seat without warning. I was surprised by how easily he had done it.

"Put me down!" I tried to fight him off but he was a lot stronger than what he used to be. He was ducking his head, trying to avoid my arms. He was even laughing at me!

"You want me to put you down?" He asked with his eyebrows raised.

I thought for a second. The last time I told him that, he threw me to the pool. But there was no water around us this time. Freddie wouldn't dare to throw me on the ground. Would he? Of course not. He would never hurt me.

"Yes. Put me down." I told him sharply.

"If you say so." he smirked.

Oh yeah. He didn't throw me this time. He sat me on the ground beside Cukey and started walking inside the lobby. At least he did it gently!

"Freddie!" I yelled, standing up. "Get back here!"

I ran towards him and when I caught him, I jumped on his back like what I did with Spencer when he snatched my sketchpad back in Seattle. Freddie gasped but soon, he started giggling and running around until I was becoming a little bit dizzy.

"Stoooopp!" I cried, tightening my grip around his neck.

He chuckled as he put his arms under my knees. The next thing I knew, we were already in front of my room. I handed him the key from my pocket and after he clicked it open, he kicked the door and dropped me gently on my bed.

"You okay, kisses?" he asked as he sat down beside me.

I glared at him. "I'm dizzy!"

"Sorry." he smiled. "Just lie down for a little while. I'll just change into something more appropriate for car-washing and then I'll come back for you here. Sounds good?"

"M'kay." I replied.

He gave me a little kiss on the forehead before he headed towards the door. "Later, kisses!"

I threw him one of my pillows. "Stop calling me that!"

"Kisses." He was already out of my room but he still managed to tease me one last time by peeking his head on my door. Good thing he already closed it before another pillow landed on his face.

I just shook my head and lay down on my bed. Kisses. I didn't know why I kept telling him to stop calling me that because really, I kind of liked it.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Fluffy! lol**

**I just want to thank everyone who keeps on reading & reviewing this story, and also those who put 'The Pact' in their Favorite Story and Story Alert lists. The last chapter gathered a total of 15 reviews (the most among all the chapters in this story and my other stories as well). So I think it's only fair if I give a little shout-out to those people. ^_^**

**Thank you: MzSCAgurlliee, Carl Rahl, CaptainKrueger, Creddieforever, baronvonmilo, coco, PerennialKillJoy, mrmuscle, DRAGON-HEIR1, The Albino Black Sheep, and creddie girl.**

**Special shout-outs to:**

**_Vadercat_ -**** Belated Happy Birthday!**** I'm so sorry I wasn't able to update iStand By You just in time for your special day. I'll make it up to you! Thanks for the review. **

**_EddieVF - _I'm glad you liked Stephen Speaks. I forgot to give them credit on that chapter! I'm gonna edit it right now. lol Passenger Seat and Out Of My League are my two favorites. Thanks!**

**_iCarlyFanFreek825 - _Sorry if I got you mad. lol I was originally planning to write what Carly mumbled in response to Freddie's "I'm never giving up on you." line but I figured that the chapter is in Freddie's POV and he wasn't really supposed to hear it. Don't worry, I'll mention it in later chapters. Sorry! And thanks for loving this story more than Freddie loves Carly. It means a lot!**

**_iLive iBreathe iCarly - _I find it funny that from chapters 12-15, you and iCarlyFanFreek825's comments are always next to each other. So random but I just thought I should mention that. lol Anyway, I was thinking of writing about Brad calling Carly while they were on the lake and Carly would just ignore the call. I didn't know why I didn't push through with it. Haha. Thanks!**


	17. Chapter 17

**CARLY'S POV**

"Kisses." I felt a familiar hand shake me gently. "Wake up."

When I opened my eyes, I saw my best friend looking at me, his face inches away from mine. He wasn't wearing his smirk that I'd seen lots of times this day. Instead, he was smiling my favorite smile of his, the one that I'd often see whenever he was spending time with me.

"I must have slept." I murmured, rubbing my eyes gently.

He laughed softly. "I can see that."

"Well it's your fault!" I shot back, glaring at him as he towered over me.

He raised both his hands up and giggled. "What did I do this time?"

"Don't act like you don't know!" I rolled my eyes at him and sat up, running my fingers over my hair to smooth it. "What took you so long anyway? You said you're just gonna change clothes." I changed mine already and I must have fallen asleep while I was waiting for him to come back.

"I came back fast." he smiled when he saw my confused look. "I was already here thirty minutes ago. You weren't answering so I've decided to use my duplicate key only to find out that you've fallen asleep."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked, slapping him playfully on his arm.

"Well, I figured I should let you rest." He really was the sweetest. "Besides, it was really fun for me to watch you sleep. You were drooling and snoring. I should have documented it." he snickered.

Oh, he just loved irritating me these days. I wiped the sides of my mouth to make sure there wasn't any drool. I then looked at him and saw him grinning at me. I grabbed the pillow from behind me, careful he wouldn't notice, and smacked him right in the head to wipe that stupid grin off his face.

"Carlyyy!" he cried, bringing his hands up to protect himself.

"Was I really snoring and drooling?" I asked him as I brought the pillow down.

Freddie just laughed at me.

"What's funny?"

"You!" he replied before grabbing my hand. "Come on. Our baby has waited long enough."

I chuckled, completely forgetting about my sleeping issue. I let Freddie drag me outside so we could already start our carwash session before it gets dark. We stopped by the storage room near the lobby's entrance and grabbed the things we would need before we headed out.

"So, how do we do this?" I asked him, playing with the water hose in my hand. Freddie had the bucket of water mixed with detergent, two yellow sponges, and the tire cleaner.

"I do the scrubbing and you do the splashing of water." he replied.

I pouted. "That's boring. I wanna scrub too."

"Okay, okay. I'll let you help."

"Yes! Let's do this!" I said enthusiastically before spraying off the entire surface of the car with the water hose. I heard Freddie giggle beside me while I was doing my stuff. "What are you laughing at? Come on! We don't have all day, you know!"

"You just look cute when you're that excited." he answered. "Spray the tires too, kisses."

I did what he said and when I was done with all four, he bent down to apply the spray foam to the tires.

"Now what?" I asked impatiently, standing behind him.

Freddie stood up and faced me. "We just let the tires soak in it and then we can rinse them later. Now, the scrubbing begins." he reached for the sponges in the bucket and handed me one. "Roof first." he instructed.

I dropped the water hose and started scrubbing Cukey's roof. Freddie was standing at the other side of the car, doing the same thing.

"This is fun. This is a fun time." I said.

"It's only fun when you're doing it with someone." he replied, smiling.

He was right. It was really fun when you're doing this with someone. I wondered if washing a car would be this fun with Brad. Of course, washing a car with my brother would be nice too. Knowing Spencer, I'm sure he would come up with some wacky gadget to make car-washing a lot easier only to get the opposite result. But that was another story. With Freddie, I was having a blast. And we barely even started.

We did the scrubbing until we covered everything. I grabbed the water hose from the ground and started spraying off the detergent while Freddie cleaned the tires using a soft brush. I stood behind him when I finished my part.

"Are we almost done?" I asked him.

"Yeah." he replied, busy with what he was doing.

"I really have one question though."

"What?" he asked, still not looking at me.

"Was I really drooling and snoring?"

I heard him laugh so I made myself ready in case he'd give me the wrong answer.

"Maybe." he replied, clearly teasing me again.

"Wrong!" I cried.

Confused, he stood up and faced me. He clearly had no idea on what was going to happen so I raised the water hose up to show him.

"Don't you dare, Carly." he warned me.

"So now I'm back to Carly? Whatever happened to kisses?" I teased before spraying him with water without warning. I really wanted to do that since we started. And now, I was purely satisfied with myself. I finally got my sweet revenge.

Freddie groaned after I was done splashing him. He looked at himself and when he discovered he was so soaked, he glared at me. Unlike him, I knew what was coming for me. I started to run around the car to give myself a jump start.

"You can't run from me, kisses." I heard him from behind me.

I knew that. That was why I wasn't really shocked when he wrapped his hands around my waist from behind and lifted me into the air effortlessly.

"Put me down." I told him, giggling.

"Told 'ya." he replied as he settled me into the ground.

"Why Freddie, I'm surprised! You managed to put me down properly this time." I teased.

"So I can do this!" He captured me in his arms to get me wet too. I struggled to free myself but he was so strong. I could feel the red shirt I was wearing was soaked already.

We were busy laughing and having a good time when we heard a continuous car horn from the sidewalk.

"Brad." I murmured as I stepped away from Freddie. I looked at him and when he nodded, I made my way to meet my boyfriend by his car. He was already out, leaning against it as he waited for me.

"Hey." I smiled.

I attempted to give him a hug but he refused. "You're soaking wet."

"Oh."

"What were you doing with Freddie?" he suddenly asked.

"We were just washing Cukey. What's wrong?"

"Is hugging part of it?"

"We were just playing around." I answered innocently.

"I don't like him."

I sighed. "We're not having this conversation again. I already told you. Freddie's my best friend and he's important to me. I won't stop being friends with him just because you told me to."

Brad didn't like Freddie even a bit from the start. He said my closeness with Freddie was bothering him. There was even a point when he actually told me to stop hanging out with him. I told him if he wanted that, then maybe it's best if we would just end our relationship. Brad was pissed off but in the end, he decided to stop lecturing me on who I should spend my time with.

"Whatever. But if your best friend does something I don't like, he's finished."

God! He was being a stuck-up jerk and his arrogance was irritating me. "You won't hurt Freddie."

"Or else you'll break up with me? I've heard that before."

"I mean it, Brad!"

"Alright. I won't lay a finger on your friend."

"Well, good."

"Does that mean I'm still gonna be your date to your dorm's party tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Of course." I smiled at him.

"Well, good." he mocked and I rolled my eyes playfully at him. "So you wanna hang-out with me and the guys tonight? We're going to a bar not too far from here."

The guys. It's not that I didn't like his teammates. It's just that I found it hard to be in the same frequency as them. And don't get me started about their girlfriends. They were all nice but they weren't my type of friends. At least I wasn't preventing him from being friends with them.

"I'll pass. Besides, we're not yet done with the whole washing thing." I replied.

"You always pass." he stated.

"I'm sorry. I'll just call you later?"

"Fine." he said.

I gave him a kiss on his cheek before he stepped inside his BMW. As soon as the car was out of sight, I returned to Freddie.

"What was that about?" he asked as he wiped Cukey's hood with a dry towel. I grabbed the other one from the other empty bucket and helped him.

"He just asked if I want to join him and his teammates to go barhopping tonight." I replied, skipping the part about him.

"Oh. In that case, you better clean up. I got this."

"Silly. I'm not going to leave you here. I told him I pass." I smiled at him and he smiled back. "So, you have a date tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I don't need a date to have a good time."

"Maybe you should ask Jenny." I teased.

"You know, that's a great idea! Do you have her number?" he asked.

I frowned. He was really going to ask Jenny? Stupid, stupid Carly! I shouldn't have given him the idea. I thought of lying to him about her number but that would make me a bad friend. Besides, Freddie also deserves to have fun at the dance tomorrow night. If Jenny would make him happy, it's going to be fine by me.

"It's in my phone. I'll give it to you later." I replied, trying not to sound disappointed or anything.

"You're not jealous?" he asked.

I shook my head and laughed. "No."

"Doesn't look like it!"

I rolled my eyes."Oh please, Benson."

"But no worries. I'm not planning to ask her." he said and relief washed through me.

"So you're going alone then?"

"Pretty much." he said. "Unless someone decides to dump her boyfriend and go with me to the dance instead." he winked.

I laughed. "What made you think I'd dump Brad for you?"

"Instinct." he shrugged. "But I know it's gonna happen anyway."

"You are just so sure, huh?"

"Positive."

* * *

**A/N:**

**The carwash scene was inspired by Miranda Cosgrove's Kissin U music video. But I guess you guys already know that upon reading that particular part of this chapter. ^_^**

**Thanks again to everyone! You guys are seriouly the best!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**FREDDIE'S POV**

The party has already started but I was still locked up inside my room. I was already dressed and good to go but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go out there anymore. I doubt if I'd have fun partying by myself while Carly was with her stupid boyfriend.

I knew from the start that he didn't like me. He didn't have to worry because the feeling was mutual. I didn't like him either. It wasn't because he was Carly's boyfriend. It was because I knew he wasn't good enough for her. I couldn't see in his eyes that he cares for her. Of course, he liked Carly. But who doesn't? I just thought she was just one of those girls for him.

The loud music was tempting me to go out from the comforts of my own bedroom. I could hear it from the dorm's function room down at the first floor. I took a deep breath and went out of my room no matter how unsure I was of how this night would turn out. Besides, I really wanted to see Carly. I was sure she'd be an eye-catcher tonight. She always was.

As I arrived in the room, the first thing I did was look for her. The room was filled with bunch of students who lived in the same dorm as ours and their respective dates. I went further inside and passed through the people dancing in the middle. Still, there was no sign of her. I spotted Addie, one of our dorm friends, and approached her.

"Hey." I almost shouted because of the music. "Have you seen Carly?"

She wandered around the room. "She was here a minute ago. But I think I saw her go outside."

"Was she with someone?" I asked, thinking if she went off somewhere with Brad.

"I don't think so. She was alone when I spotted her." she answered and I thanked her before making my way out.

I looked for her in the lobby but she wasn't there too. The only people there were either couples making out or dormers waiting for their dates.

"Hey Fredman!" I turned around and saw Tim approaching me.

"Tim? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Addie invited me." he smiled and I nodded. He must be her date. "Oh, and if you're looking for Ms. Carly Shay, she's outside." he winked at me before heading towards the function room.

"Thanks, man. I'll see you later."

I quickly made my way outside the building and a girl sitting on the swing immediately caught my eye. I smiled to myself before walking slowly towards her. Without saying a word, I sat on the swing next to her.

And I was right. She was indeed an eye-catcher tonight. Her hair was curled perfectly and even without too much make-up on, she still look dazzling. She was wearing an off the shoulder top and paired them with simple jeans. Carly always looked elegant whatever she was wearing.

"Sorry but I can't help wondering. What's a lovely girl doing out here all alone?"

She looked at me. "Freddie?"

"The one and only."

She laughed softly before looking ahead again. "I was waiting for Brad. Apparently, he lost track of the time. He's now stuck in his teammate's party."

"Is he still coming?" I asked, prating she would say no.

She sighed. "I don't think so. When Brad and his guys are in a party, he finds it hard to leave. I sent him a text message and told him to catch up if he can but he's not replying. So I don't really know if he's still coming or not."

"Then what are you still doing here?"

She shrugged. "I just figured I'll have some air."

I stood up and held out my hand. "Come on. We're supposed to be having a good time."

Carly chuckled before she took my hand. We walked hand-in-hand towards the party and there I knew that this was going to be an unforgettable night. Smart move, Brad. You left her all alone knowing that she had a best friend who was always ready to catch her. If only you put her first before anything else.

I led her inside the room when all of a sudden; she started dragging me to the dance floor.

"Uh, kisses... I was thinking of just eating and chatting the whole night. You know, dancing isn't really my thing." I said to her the moment we were surrounded by people shaking their bodies in rhythm.

Carly rolled her eyes at me. "You said we're supposed to be having a good time?"

"I know. But as long as I'm with you, I'm good. Why? Isn't being with me enough?" I teased.

"Freddieeee..." she whined.

I then started moving my hips in a circular motion and throwing my arms in the air. You could call what I was doing dancing but for me, it was just fooling around. I just wanted to annoy Carly but from the sound of her hysterical laughter, I knew my plan backfired. At least I was able to make her laugh, something Brad couldn't even give her.

"Am I doing this right?" I asked as I continued to make a fool out of myself.

She laughed harder. "Oh, that's really sexy, Benson."

I knew she was being sarcastic because there was no way I was being sexy with what I was doing.

A new song suddenly started playing and the mood in the room suddenly changed. Almost everyone in the dance floor paired up while Carly and I were busy staring at each other, trying to figure out what the other was thinking.

"I think this kind of dancing is my thing." I snickered before closing the distance between us.

Carly put both her hands on my shoulder and smiled her thousand-watt smile at me. "I think so too."

_Would you dance,_

_If I asked you to dance?_

_Would you run,_

_And never look back?_

_Would you cry,_

_If you saw me crying?_

_And would you save my soul tonight?_

"Have I already told you how beautiful you look tonight?" I blurted out, looking into her eyes as we swayed to the music.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she giggled.

_Would you tremble,_

_If I touched your lips?_

_Would you laugh?_

_Oh please tell me this._

_Now would you die,_

_For the one you love?_

_Hold me in your arms tonight._

"Freddie? Can I ask you a question?" she muttered softly.

"No, you're not really drooling and snoring." I smirked.

She laughed. "Silly. That isn't what I was about to ask. But thanks for clarifying that issue. I feel better now."

"You're welcome." I grinned. "So what's this question of yours?"

"Why are you always there for me when everything seems not into place? Well, you know. During the Girl's Choice dance, you weren't really my date but you saved the night for me. And now, Brad is gone and you're here."

"Easy. Because I'm your knight in shining armor." I teased.

"So you rescue princesses?" she laughed.

"You're this knight's only princess."

Carly rested her head against my shoulder. Everything was pretty much the same as the dance in the Groovy Smoothies except this time, my feelings for her were deeper and stronger.

_I can be your hero baby,_

_I can kiss away the pain_

_I will stand by you forever._

_You can take my breath away._

My world stopped when I felt Carly being pulled away harshly away from me. It happened so quickly that I didn't have the time to react and secure her in my arms. When I turned to see who did it, I wasn't even the slightest bit surprised.

Brad. He was obviously drunk. I could smell it. He was gripping her wrist tightly and I could see in her eyes that he was hurting her. It took every ounce of my self-control not to kill him right then and there.

He gave me a deathly glare but he didn't say anything. Instead, he gave her the same look before dragging her violently towards the door, not caring if people were staring at them. Without any second thoughts, I followed them. The only thing in my mind was to make sure he wouldn't do anything to Carly.

I heard him shouting and I wasn't even out of the room yet. When I opened the door, I saw them. He was still holding as he shouted. Carly wasn't even fighting back. She was just looking at him, pleading with her eyes as tears started to fall.

People in the lobby were already looking at the three of us.

"What was happening in there, Carly? I was just at Vin's party and when I came here, that was what you have for me? How long have you been cheating on me with your best friend, huh? You cheater!" he shouted.

"We were just dancing. I'm sorry." she cried.

"Shut up!!" I watched him raise his hand. He was going to hit her!

"Don't you dare hurt her!" I ran to them as fast as I could and yanked Carly away from him. I let her stand behind me as she cried while I dealt with her asshole boyfriend.

"Stay out of this!" he snarled as he tried to steal her back.

"Get out of here, Brad! No one wants you here!"

The next thing I knew, a fist landed on my face and I was staring at the ceiling.

"Freddie!" I heard Carly shout. She knelt down beside me and helped me sit up. I saw the concern in her eyes as she held my hand.

"I'm okay, kisses. Don't worry." I felt blood dripping from the corner of my mouth.

"I told you not to hurt him! We're over, Brad! Get out! I don't want to see you again!" Carly exploded as she pointed towards the door. Carly breaking up with him was the sweetest revenge I could have. He lost something priceless and he's gonna regret it. No. He's gonna rue it!

"You're replacing me with that dork?" Once again, I let it pass. "Fine. At least everyone here now knows what a slut you are!"

That was it! I could take his punch, his name-calling, and his insults. But calling Carly that was something I wouldn't let him get away with. I stood up from the floor and before he could disappear, I punched him right in his face with every strength I had. The punch was so hard that my fist hurt and it was enough to send him flying to the ground. But I wasn't finished yet. He was going to pay for it!

"Take that back!" I grabbed his collar and forced him to stand up.

He just laughed pathetically so I gave him another blow. I had no intentions to stop unless Brad would take back what he just said. I was about to punch him again when someone held me. I struggled to break free but when I successfully did, Brad was already running away towards his car like a chicken.

"He's not worth it, dude." It was Tim.

He was right. I nodded at my swimming buddy and apologized before walking towards Carly.

"Are you okay, kisses?" I asked as I held both her hands.

It took her a while before she nodded. She was still in shock.

"You're hurt." she stated.

I stroked her cheek and smiled. "I'm okay, really."

The next thing I knew, she was dragging me towards my room.

* * *

**A/N:**

**To those who hate Brad, we've seen the last of him in this chapter. lol**

**The italicized words are lyrics from the song "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias.  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:**

**I don't usually put an author's note before a chapter but I just feel like I should do it. **

**WARNING:**

**Extreme fluffiness ahead. And maybe a possible kiss? Oops! ^_^**

* * *

**FREDDIE'S POV**

"I told you I'm fine. You don't have to worry." I told her as she made me sit on my bed. I tried to stand up several times but she would give me a deathly glare every time. When she made sure that I wouldn't do anything against her will, she started looking for something inside my room and I had no idea what it was.

"Where is it?" she mumbled almost to herself.

"What are you looking for anyway?" I asked.

She continued flipping my things. "Your first-aid kit. I'm sure you have one. Your mom wouldn't have let you leave Seattle without it."

I sighed. How many times do I have to tell her that I was really okay? She was supposed to be having a good time at the party and not stuck here in my room, worrying about me.

"Where is it?" she turned to me.

"I don't know where I put it. I haven't seen it since we moved in." I lied. I hated lying to Carly but it was the only way to stop her from panicking over a little bruise at the corner of my mouth. She could be overprotective sometimes. I just wished she wouldn't see the white bag under my bed or else I'd be in so much trouble.

"Don't lie to me, Freddie." Her face turned more serious and it was bothering me.

"Kisses, please. I'm really fine." I stood up and walked over to her. "But you're not."

"M--me? I... I'm fine. How could you say that? Totally fine. Totally." she stuttered at first, then blabbered after. One of the many signs that she was saying the opposite of what she was feeling.

"Come here." I embraced her and let her rest her head against my chest. There was silence for a while and when I heard her sobbing silently, I tightened my grip around her and just let her cry. I knew there was something she needed to let out. Whatever it was, I wanted to make sure that I was the one who would be there for her.

"I just can't believe he called me that." she whispered and her voice was shaking. It made me want to find Brad once again and finish him off this time. Brad should be thankful that Tim was there to put some senses into me and I couldn't bear to be away from Carly.

"I do. I knew from the start that he's an asshole." I chuckled, letting the anger ease, as I ran my free hand through her hair.

Carly looked up and I wiped her tears. She wasn't crying anymore. "If you knew, why didn't you stop me from going out with him?" she asked in a non-judgmental tone.

"Because I don't want you and Sam to think that I'm just jealous. Well, mostly Sam. She'd never give me a break. You know how she is. She already tweeted about it, remember?" I laughed, remembering what Sam did.

She pulled away from me gently and crossed her arms against her chest. "Well, are you?"

"What?" I almost forgot that she really, really could recover quickly.

"Are you jealous?" she smirked, raising an eyebrow. I opened my mouth to answer her but nothing came out. I didn't know what to say anyway. I wouldn't even try to deny it because it was impossible to believe. However, I didn't want to confess either because for some reason, I didn't want things to change between us. If it would, anyway.

"It's okay. You don't have to answer." I sighed in relief. "I know you are." she snickered in a teasing manner.

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Come on." she giggled, grabbing my wrist and dragging me towards my bed to make me sit down again. "Let's take care of you."

"Carlyyyy." I whined.

"Oh stop whining like a baby!" She put her arms on her waist and scolded me.

"Fine. I won't tell you where my first-aid kit is." I stubbornly said which earned me a growl from her.

The next thing I knew, she darted quickly out of my room, slamming the door in the process, only to come back a minute or two later with a towel in her hand. She grabbed my computer chair and wheeled it in front of me before taking her seat.

I watched her lean closer to me, enough for me to stare at her in awe. Her dark wavy hair cascading down her shoulders perfectly, its color contrasted starkly against her face. She was beautiful, the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes upon. She was sweet, smart, funny, and lovable. She was all that and more. I still couldn't believe that he trashed her just like that when he could have the only thing that most guys wanted, or clearly, the only thing I wanted. Such an idiot, that Brad.

"Are you okay?" she suddenly asked, snapping me out of my trance.

"Yeah." I whispered, getting distracted by how close she was to me.

She only nodded, raising her hand with the wet towel and slowly, gently, she treated the corner of my mouth with it. I winced at the sudden contact but after a while, my shoulders dropped and I felt myself relax. While she seemed so busy continuing what she was doing, I was lost in her eyes. There, I saw her concern for me and I knew that somewhere beneath them, there was love. Even a little bit. And that was enough to make me happy.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked softly.

"Nope. You made it better." I smiled as she leaned back. I suddenly cursed myself for letting it be over too soon.

She blushed as she looked away. Me and my stupid mouth. I gotta learn to stop throwing punch lines like that every now and then. I didn't know what changed because back then, she would just shake it off and roll her eyes at me. Now, she would avoid my gaze and become somewhat uncomfortable.

"I gotta give it to your boyfriend." I stated, breaking the silence before it turned awkward.

"Ex-boyfriend, thank you." she smiled as she corrected me.

"Okay. Ex-boyfriend." I chuckled. "He's a tough kid. My fist really hurt after punching him."

She laughed with me as she grabbed my right hand, the one I used with Brad, rested it on her lap, and started rubbing them slowly. Maybe she thought it was really hurting. I was just joking about it but I had no intentions to tell her that with the way her hand was soothing mine.

"You really saved my night." she mumbled.

I smiled as I watched her raise my hand and bring it to her lips to kiss it softly.

"There." she giggled. "Feel any better?"

I was utterly speechless but I managed to pull a smile. My heart was racing inside my chest and I just couldn't imagine how it would take it if those lips would be pressed against mine instead of my hand. Maybe it would explode into tiny little pieces.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, she leaned closer to me again. Her eyes closed as she slowly pressed her lips against the corner of my mouth, where Brad's knuckles landed a while ago.

"Thank you." she whispered, eyes still closed, when she pulled away. "Thank you for standing up for me."

"I'd do it anytime." I told her.

And I saw her blush again.

"Carly..." I called.

"Yeah?"

"I think he punched me on the lips too." I grinned.

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Did he?"

"Yeah." I put my hand on my lips and got on my act. "It hurts. Aww. Aww."

Carly laughed. "You want me to kiss it to make it feel better?"

I thought she'd never ask. "Yes!"

"Okay. Close your eyes." she instructed.

Did I really hear what she just said? Because I was expecting something like 'Too bad' or 'Oh Freddie.' or maybe something like 'Dream on, Benson.' But whatever it was, I just did what she asked and waited for the best thing that was yet to come.

"Stay still." she whispered and I could tell our faces were a lot closer now because I could actually feel her warm breath on my nose and it was tickling me.

I counted in my mind. Three. Two. Nothing. One and three quarters. One and a half. One! Okay. Maybe I was counting too fast. I started all over again. Three. Two. One. Still nothing. I opened my eyes to see what was up only to find out that my computer chair where Carly was supposed to be sitting on as she kisses me was empty.

Sneaky. Very sneaky to the point that I didn't actually hear her standing up.

I turned around and saw that she was already flopped in my bed, reading a magazine as if she wasn't guilty of anything.

"That was mean, Carly!" I told her.

"What?" she asked, looking innocent.

"You made me close my eyes for nothing?"

She laughed and I started tickling her despite her cries of protests. Laughter filled the room as my pillows and blanket were sent flying across the room while Carly and I wrestled on my bed. We stopped when we were both exhausted and just decided to lie down next to each other. She rested her head on my chest as I pulled her closer.

"You wanna go back to the party?" I asked her after I caught my breath.

"Mmm. I'm pretty tired. Can I crash here for the night? I don't feel like sleeping in my room." she mumbled.

"Sure. Mom made me bring my emergency sleeping bag." I giggled.

"Of course she did!" she laughed before sitting up and smoothing her hair. "I'm just gonna take a shower. I'll be back in a few."

I sat up too and positioned myself beside her. "Alright."

I didn't know she was about to kiss me on the cheek because when I turned to look at her, our lips touched accidentally. And no, it wasn't my plan to do that. It just happened coincidentally.

We remained still for a moment, our lips pressed together. I almost forgot how her kisses could make my stomach flip. I thought she'd be so shocked that her eyes would open wide. But when I opened my eyes, I saw hers were closed. It was Carly who pulled away first and when I looked at her, she was already as red as a tomato.

"I-- I'm sorry. I didn't know you were uh... And then I... But then..." I struggled to look for the words to say.

"Uh... It's okay. We didn't mean to... uh... you know. It was... err." It looked like she was too. "I'll be back!"

Then she ran towards the door.

I was smiling all by myself inside my room and it was creeping me out.

What a night!

* * *

**A/N:**

**^_^**


	20. Chapter 20

**CARLY'S POV**

"_Freddie?" I slightly opened his bedroom door and saw him laying out the sleeping bag he said his mom made him bring beside his bed. I could tell he took a shower too because his hair was still wet and messy and he was wearing a clean white shirt and a plain blue boxers. He looked too gorgeous. Not that I was staring. Of course I wasn't.  
_

"_Hey kisses. Come in." he replied, getting some of the pillows from his bed and throwing them on the sleeping bag._

_I made my way in and smiled as I passed by him. _

"_I see you brought the pillow." He chuckled._

"_Yeah." I replied, sitting on his bed. "I can't sleep without it."_

_The pillow we were talking about was the one he bought me two weeks after we settled in the university. It was just a simple fluffy pink pillow and I didn't know why but I always loved it. I could never sleep without hugging it close to me._

"_Sleepy?" he asked when he noticed me yawn._

"_Kinda. I'm pretty tired. Such a long night." _

"_Me too. I think we should call this a night." He yawned too._

_Before Freddie could lie down on his sleeping bag, I stood up from the bed and spread my arms sidewards."Hug me goodnight?" _

_Freddie smiled and turned to me. Soon, I was crushed by his strong arms again. It was something I'd never get tired of._

"_Goodnight, kisses." He said before we let go.  
_

"_Thanks again for what you did earlier. It means a lot to me." I said sincerely before tiptoeing to give him a goodnight kiss on his cheek. "Okay, don't you dare turn your head this time mister." I giggled._

"_You mean like this?" He teased as he turned to me before my lips even touched his cheek.  
_

_I rolled my eyes and groaned. __Good thing I kept my eyes open this time. I kind of expected he would do that._

"_Okay. No more goofing around." He raised his right hand up and looked away._

"_Promise? Alright." I smiled. As I was about to kiss him goodnight properly, he turned to me again. He was biting his lips, controlling his laughter. He looked cute and I almost wanted to press my lips against his. But I stopped myself. Kissing your best friend was surely out of the question.  
_

"_Freddie!" I yelled instead, stepping back._

"_What? Okay. I promise. Really promise." He said, still giggling. _

"_I don't feel like doing it anymore." I teased and sat down on his bed. "Goodnight, Freddie."_

"_That's the second time you denied me a kiss!" he exclaimed and I just stuck my tongue out._

_I thought he was giving it up and was about to just lie down on his sleeping bag and go to sleep. Little did I know that Freddie grabbed a pillow and playfully, he hit me on my side without me suspecting. I knew he was trying not to hurt me by the way he did it. If he was, I would be sent flying towards the other side of the room. Yeah, that was how strong he had gotten over the years. Good thing he was using those arms well whenever he was hugging me close.  
_

"_Freddie!" _

_He laughed. I grabbed one from the bed and hit him back. I didn't know that it was so hard that it caused him to fall on the ground, flat on his back._

"_That's it!" he stood up and fixed his hair and shirt. "No more Mr. Nice Guy!"_

"_What?"_

"_Pillow fiiiiight!!!"_

I was so glad that things between the two of us didn't turn awkward after that accidental kiss that happened during the dance. Freddie and I would still tease each other about it once in a while but it never really became a big deal for us.

"You think they're still clueless?" Freddie asked and that brought me back to reality.

"Yeah. I told Spencer we won't be home 'til next week because of your swimming competition. I felt bad that I had to lie to him last night on the phone." I replied.

"Well, you didn't technically lie to him. There really was a swimming competition scheduled but it got canceled the last minute. They're gonna have it after break." He explained.

We were driving on our way back to Seattle for our very first Christmas break. We planned to surprise Spencer and Mrs. Benson and it was going really well. None of them seemed to know that we were already in the parking lot of our apartment building. Back to Bushwell Plaza where everything started. It felt so good to be back home.

"Is Sam gonna be spending Christmas with us?" Freddie asked as he took out our things from Cukey's trunk.

"She's still in the process of convincing her dad."

We walked inside the lobby and found Lewbert by his desk. Nothing changed about the place and it was obvious that Lewbert was still the nasty doorman we used to play pranks on in iCarly. His beloved wart was still in its rightful place, the only thing I didn't miss about home.

"Hi Lewb. Nice to see you again." Freddie greeted him as we waited for the elevator.

"Ahhh! The rugrats are back!" He yelled instead of greeting us back nicely before going inside his office and slamming the door in the process.

"Yeah. We missed you too." I said sarcastically before stepping inside the elevator with Freddie.

He pushed the button for the 8th floor.

"Are you coming with me? Spencer would be so happy to see you." I told him as the elevator rose from the ground.

He started stretching his arms. "Maybe later. You and Spencer need some alone bonding time. I'm sure he missed you like crazy. Anyway, mom's still at work and all I want to do is lie down and rest for a while. I'm so tired from driving for hours."

I chuckled. "You should let me drive next time."

"Nope." he shook his head. "Not happening, kisses."

"Why not?"

"I don't want you to get tired." I smiled at how sweet he was but then I wondered. Maybe it had something to do with the incident that happened weeks ago. Freddie and I decided to go on a road trip and I insisted on driving us home. We almost ended up in a hospital because my eyes betrayed me and I almost fell asleep while driving.

The elevator dinged and we went out simultaneously. I was getting excited every moment because I was going to see my brother again. I missed him so much and I couldn't wait to tell him stories about school. I also wanted to know what he's been up to since I moved out for college.

"I'll see you later?" Freddie whispered, knowing that I was planning to surprise my brother.

"Okay. I'm gonna cook dinner tonight. Later!" I bid him goodbye before he retrieved his key from his pocket and went inside his apartment. I was sure he missed home a lot too.

I felt the knob and noticed it was unlocked. My brother was at home and he was probably working on some sculpture. I couldn't wait to see it but as much as I want to rush things out, I didn't want to spoil things. So I slowly opened the door, careful that it wouldn't make a lot of noise. The room was unusually dark when I peeked my head in and the lights were out. That was weird. I reached for the switch beside the door and when the lights opened, I was shocked with what I saw on the couch.

"Ahhhhh!" I closed the door behind me and tried to catch my breath in the hallway. That was scary.

Few moments later, I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I turned around, the first thing I saw was a baseball bat in front of my face.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Ahhhhh!"

"Freddie?"

"It's just me. Jesus Carly! Why did you scream?" he asked.

"Why are you holding a bat?" I asked back.

"I heard you scream."

"Oh." I swallowed hard and tried to relax.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He was starting to get worried.

"Spencer..." I muttered.

"Is he okay?"

I was about to answer Freddie when the door suddenly opened, causing me to jump a little. Freddie held me in the arms for support as we watch Spencer close the door behind him. When I regained composure, I stood in front of my brother and crossed my arms against my chest while I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Hey kiddo. Nice to see you. I thought you won't be home 'til next week." he said in a shaky voice.

"What was that?" I gave him my intimidating look which always worked. I still couldn't believe what I saw.

"What?"

"Oh, you know what!"

Instead of answering, he engulfed me in a big hug and I couldn't help but giggle. Just like the old times, he lifted me from the ground and spun me around easily. After he put me down, he gave Freddie a quick hug.

"How are you, Fredman?" He asked him as he ruffled his hair. I smiled at how Spencer still treated us like little kids. But I didn't mind. I was sure Freddie didn't either. Spencer was like a brother to him too.

"Good. So what's Spencie up to?" Freddie replied, giving him his precious smile.

His question reminded me of the things I needed to ask my brother.

"Okay, we all missed each other here." I said before Spencer could answer Freddie. I pointed to my brother. "You, inside. We need to talk." I then turned to Freddie. "You, put away that baseball bat and go back to sleep. I'll see you at dinner."

"I don't want to anymore." he whined. "Can't I come in? I want to know what this whole chizz is about too."

"Sure Freddo." Spencer replied before I could even say no. "I need back-up." That came more of a whisper but nevertheless, I still heard it. I gave my brother a deathly glare and that was enough for him to put his head down like a little child being scolded. Freddie was smirking beside him so I glared at him too. He immediately bit his lips and tried to control his laughter.

"In you go!" I shoved my two favorite boys inside the apartment as I rolled my trolley behind me.

The only thing I did after we went inside was drop my coat on the couch. Spencer, Freddie, and the other one were already at the dining table, waiting for me. I sat across Spencer and beside him was the hot girl I caught him making out with on the couch. Freddie, on the other hand, was sitting beside me.

"Okay. Let's start this conference." I said seriously, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the table.

"Carly, right?" the girl in the purple tank top asked me. She looked familiar but I couldn't remember when or where I saw her. "I'm sorry you had to find out about Spencer and I's relationship that way. I'm truly sorry."

"So you're dating my brother?" she nodded. Well, it was about time Spencer found someone he's gonna be with. I always thought I'd marry first before him and that thought scared me and my dad so much. "How long have you two been going out?"

"Two weeks after you went to Stanford." Spencer answered.

"So you've been dating for months? How come you didn't tell Carly?" Freddie asked him.

"I was gonna! I wanted to surprise you when you get here next week." he explained.

"Oh I was surprised alright." I said, leaning back on my chair.

"Sorry, kiddo. But Sasha and I wanted to see first if it would work that's why we haven't told anyone yet. And luckily, it did work! We're perfect for each other." Aww. He sounded too happy for me to be mad at him so I gave him a smile.

"Wait!" Freddie cried. "Sasha? You mean Sasha the Striker?"

So that was why she seemed too familiar. She was the hot Sasha Striker who my brother beat at Pakrat. Who would have thought that the game would bring two people close?

Spencer nodded at him before putting his arm around Sasha. They started staring at each other with those lovestruck eyes that should look awkward but surprisingly, they looked cute together. And it seemed like they were both into each other so there wasn't any reason why I wouldn't approve of their relationship. They just shouldn't let me catch them making out on the couch with Spencer topless and Sasha wearing only her bra because that would freak the hell out of me.

"See? Nothing to worry about, kisses." Freddie smiled and I smiled back at him.

Spencer immediately dropped his arms from Sasha's shoulder and looked at me and Freddie. "Kisses? Am I missing something here?"

"No, no. It's not what you think." I answered immediately and Freddie nodded to confirm it.

"Really now?" My brother asked as if he didn't believe me.

"Yes. It's just a term I got from Sam's dad. He calls his daughter kisses and then I teased Carly by calling her that. It just goes from there." Freddie explained.

"So you're not dating?"

"No!" We answered in unison.

"Honey, what would be the problem if they're dating? Come on, your sister's all grown-up and she and Freddie look really cute together. I'm sure if they aren't dating now, it'll still happen in the future." Sasha smiled. I wonder if this girl was psychic. Maybe she knew that Freddie and I would get married when I reach 26. But then again, who said it was going to be me and Freddie?

"I have no problem with them dating. But I'm worried about the things they might be doing when they're at Stanford. You know, they're living in the same dorm and who knows? Teens nowadays are so curious about things. Maybe when they're alone, they start kissing, cuddling, that can lead to sleeping..."

"Spencer!!!" I yelled at my brother before he could finish.

Freddie was smirking beside me. "Wanna know something, Spence?" Freddie asked him with that devious grin on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Carly and I ki---"

"Nooo! Freddieee!" I put my hand on his mouth to prevent him from blurting out our accidental kiss to my brother. Spencer would never let me hear the end of it if he finds out.

"Tell me!!" Spencer demanded as he stood up from his chair.

Freddie was struggling to get my hand off his mouth by grabbing it by his both hands. I tried so hard to keep it right there but he was pulling it away.

"We kissed!! Carly and I kissed!!" he shouted as soon as his mouth was free. He stood up from his seat quickly and stepped away from me. Smart boy. He was grinning and I wanted to smack him right then and there but I knew I had to deal with my brother first.

"You what?!!"

"It was an accident! I was just gonna give him a thank you kiss because he saved me from Brad that night but he turned his head to me and our lips touched. It wasn't really a kiss because our lips were just pressed together and we just remained still that moment and and..."

I heard Freddie's giggles as I was explaining, or panicking for that matter. I turned to him.

"You are so gonna pay for it!" I said before chasing him around the kitchen while Spencer and Sasha sat beside each other, clearly bewildered, as they watched the two of us run around.

"By the way, we're getting married!" Spencer exclaimed out of the blue that made Freddie and I stop and look at each other.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry it took so long!**


	21. Chapter 21

**FREDDIE'S POV**

"So, where's everybody?" I asked Carly who seemed so busy preparing everything in the kitchen. It looked like we were going to have a superb dinner on Christmas Eve with the way the aroma of the food flooded up my nostrils.

"He's picking up Sasha in her place." She replied as she put the turkey inside the oven while I sat myself on the counter's empty space. "Where's your mom?"

"She's working so I'm all yours tonight." I grinned, taking one of those delicious Christmas cookies she baked for the holiday. It was my favorite of all because every Christmas, she'd give me and my mom a box full of them. I kind of found it unfair that she always gave Sam two boxes but understanding Sam's appetite, I just let it go.

Carly, who was holding a bowl of chocolate pudding in her hand, slapped my arm and grabbed the cookie from me. "Please keep your hands off the food unless you want me to send you out which we both don't want to happen."

I jumped off the counter and followed her to the sink. "You can't make me leave." I teased.

"Try me." she said, raising her eyebrows in a challenging manner.

"Alright. I'll keep my hands off the food." I surrendered when I noticed she was being serious. I wouldn't want to spend Christmas Eve alone in my apartment. "For now."

Carly pinched me on the nose hard and smiled the cutest smile I've ever seen. "That's all I'm asking."

I rubbed my nose which I'm sure was all red because of the way she trapped it in those little fingers of hers. "Did you just pinch me?"

"Maybe." She giggled before checking the time on her watch. "Oh. They'll be here any minute. Please help me set-up the plates on the table?"

"I'd do it for a kiss." I joked as I started grabbing the plates from one of the kitchen cabinets. I heard Carly 's giggles as she took out glasses from the adjacent cabinet.

"So, what did you get me for Christmas?" I asked as we made our way to the table.

"I won't tell." She replied. "You have to wait after dinner."

I groaned again. "Please? I promise I'll fake being surprised later. It will be our little secret." I whispered the last sentence into her ear which made her chuckle softly.

"You gotta work on your patience, Benson." She shook her head and laughed.

Before I could even answer, the door swung open and in came Spencer and Sasha. He was carrying two gifts with his hand while his free hand was around her waist. They really looked pretty good together which was good because that would mean cute little children in the future. I could imagine little Spencer or little Sasha walking down the aisle cutely during Carly and I's wedding. Hey! A man can dream, right?

"Wow. Smells good, Carls." Sasha yelled as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Thanks. Dinner will be ready soon." Carly yelled back while we finished setting up the table.

While I was taking out the turkey from the oven, Spencer came inside the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He stood up beside Carly and attempted to get himself a piece of Christmas cookie which earned him a deathly glare from his little sister. I wanted to warn him but I was too late.

"Spencer!!" she yelled, making Spencer drop the cookie back to the tray.

"Sorry! It looks so good!" he apologized. "Anyway, I found something in the lobby which I think belongs to you so I asked Lewbert to send it up here."

"What is it?" I asked curiously as I settled the turkey on the table.

The elevator dinged and the three of us went into the living room to see what Spencer found in the lobby.

"Ahhhhhh!" Carly squealed which was enough for me, Spencer, and Sasha to cover up our ears. She was always like this whenever she gets happy and excited. But we gave her a break since her reason for hurting our ears was absolutely acceptable.

"Easy there, cupcake." Sam smiled as she made her way towards Carly to give her a hug. It looked like they haven't seen each other in years!

"I'm so happy you convinced your family to spend Christmas with us!" Carly said excitedly as they pulled apart.

"I'll just be here for a couple of days. It's part of the deal that I spend the New Year with them. Trust me, it wasn't easy to convince them but here I am!" Sam replied.

I crossed my arms against my chest. "Let me guess. You threw a tantrum."

Sam turned to me and the look in her face told us that what I said was true. "It's none of your business, Benson."

"Who's hungry?" Carly clapped her hands and asked before things turned ugly.

Sasha and Spencer were already seated on their seats so the three of us followed soon enough. Carly sat down on the chair across Spencer and just as I expected, Sam took the chair I pulled out beside Carly. She stuck her tongue out to irritate me so I just grabbed the empty one beside Sasha and set it on the other side next to Carly. I figured I'd let Puckett have her way since it was Christmas and she'd only be here for a short time.

"So, I hear wedding bells. When?" Sam asked as she filled her plate up with Carly's special lasagna.

"Well, Sasha and I talked about it already and we decided to do it on summer so you guys could be here to attend the wedding." Spencer replied, scooping some mashed potato to put it in Sasha's plate.

"I want Carly to be my maid-of-honor." Sasha smiled and Carly squealed again excitedly.

"Please stop doing that?" I asked her.

"What?" she hissed, looking at me.

"Screaming at the top of your lungs. You're making our ears bleed."

"Am not!"

"Carlyyy..."

"Are these two married? Because I'd like to smack Carly hard in the head if that's the case." Sam asked Spencer and Sasha with her mouth full of lasagna.

Carly and I both looked at each other before we glared at Sam. The lovebirds, on the other hand, were busy smirking in their seats.

"Sam!!" Carly scolded.

"What? Freddifer's okay with it." she replied.

"We're not married." I told her. "Yet."

Carly gave me an 'I-thought-we're-in-this-together-look' so I just giggled and raised my hands up to surrender for the second time that night.

"Just eat your food." she instructed.

"Yes, honey." I grinned.

"Freddie!!"**  
**

The rest of the dinner was filled with laughter and random stories. Spencer and Sasha talked about their other plans about the wedding and we were all paying attention up to the littlest details they were enumerating. Sam were telling us about London and school which was very unusual because even when we were in high school, she always hated talking about it. Carly told her 'epic fail' love story about Brad and it ended by Spencer thanking me for being there for Carly and Sam calling him names which was really satisfying on my part. If only she was there when it happened, I was sure Brad wouldn't be able to run to his car that soon.

Everyone sat in a circle after the dishes were dumped in the sink. Spencer and I gathered Sam's gifts from her bag and the rest from the tree he made from something we didn't want to know and put them on top of the coffee table. At least the tree didn't catch on fire this time and that was our only concern. Besides, with his great sculpting skills plus the colorful ornaments, it really looked wonderful.

Spencer and Sasha distributed their gifts first. Sam received ham from them which she happily thanked them for. I only knew a few people who would be delighted to receive ham as a gift but then again, we were talking about Sam here. I guessed she really does take her meat seriously.

As usual, Carly screamed when she opened her brother's gift to her. It was a brand new pearpod and by the look on her face, I could tell she was going to cook her brother breakfast every morning.

My first gift for the holiday was a nugnug action figure from Galaxy Wars. Spencer knew I was collecting them. I've got a lot of them inside my room.

"Thanks, man!"

"You're welcome Freddo."

"Spencer told me how much you like Galaxy Wars."

"Such a dork."

"Sam! Freddie's not a dork."

"Thanks, kisses."

Sam gave her gifts next and it was really hilarious to see the look on Spencer's face after he read the title of the book she bought for them. 'The Marriage Spirit'. Spencer looked at Sam in confusion and her brows furrowed in frown. She said she put a lot of thought into that gift so it ended up with Sasha scolding Spencer and her telling Sam that they loved it.

Her gift to Carly was priceless because it was just the second iCarly t-shirt ever produced. Carly was too happy with it but luckily, she didn't scream this time.

Sam bought me a gift too which almost touched my heart if she hadn't smacked me on my head before giving it to me. It was a planner for the coming year. I could really use one so I wouldn't mess up my schedules again.

Carly got excited to give her gifts so that meant I was last. She gave Sasha a set of nail polish in different colors because she knew her soon-to-be sister-in-law was fond of doing nail arts. Spencer received from her a shower radio which was understandable because Spencer loved singing whenever he was inside the bathroom.

She gave Sam a silver bracelet with letter charms that spell out the word iCarly. Sam put it on immediately and as expected, they hugged again.

Carly smiled at me before handing me her gift. I was anxious to know what was inside but I didn't let them notice. I opened it slowly though I was sure that whatever it was, I'd love it because it came from my kisses.

"Can't you open it a little faster nub?" Sam commented. And Carly said I was the one who needed to work on being patient.

I ignored Sam and just continued opening my gift. When it was free of wrapping paper, I almost kissed Carly right then and there! This must have cost her a lot.

"A waterproof MP3 player?" I asked her, still lost for words. I didn't know what I had done for her to give me something like this!

She smiled. "So you could listen to music whenever you're in the pool."

"You're really something. You know that?" I told her.

"Yep." she laughed.

My turn to give gifts. I was saving Carly's gift for last because it was special so I gave Spencer and Sasha theirs first. I bought them identical shirts which were rolled inside identical mugs. Spencer loved it so much that he wore the shirt immediately, convincing Sasha to do the same.

I got Sam a digital decision maker because she was the type of person who would leave almost everything to fate. She said she liked it but it would be better if I just gave her an instant excuse ball with twenty fool proof excuses she could use to skip school.

"Where's mine?" Carly asked me when she noticed that there were no more gifts left on the table.

"Oh." I pretended to look around. "I must have forgotten it at home."

Carly's face dropped and she pouted. "You forgot my gift."

I took out a small rectangular box from my pocket and handed it to her. "Did I?"

I watched her eyes light up again as she grabbed it from me and started to open it. Her smile grew bigger as she revealed the thing inside the blue box. It was a silver heart-shaped locket that I saw while I was busy shopping for Christmas gifts. I hope she'd love it.

"This is amazing." She returned the locket inside the box instead of putting it on and smiled at me. "Thank you."

"It's nothing." I shrugged as I smiled back. "I've already put a picture of you inside if you don't mind. I left the other half empty for you to fill."

She nodded and smiled again. I wanted to put my picture on it but I figured since it was Carly's, I'd let her decide on whose picture she wanted to put beside hers. I just wished that it wouldn't be of someone who didn't deserve her. I wouldn't mind if she'd put Sam's picture in there. I wouldn't mind too if she'd take out hers and replace it with a picture of her mom and dad. As long as she put someone who really loved her, it would be fine with me.

"Sorry guys but we have to go." Sasha stood up from her seat and we all followed.

"Yeah. It's getting late. I better drop her off to her apartment." Spencer said as he gathered the gifts she'd bring home with her.

"Hey, can you give me a ride to my house? My mom wanted me to check it so I figured I'll sleep in it tonight." Sam asked Spencer before she turned to Carly. "I'll spend the night here tomorrow, cupcake."

"Of course." she smiled at her. "Merry Christmas, Sam!"

Everybody hugged and greeted each other until Carly and I were the only people left inside the Shay's loft. We were supposed to do the dishes but I stopped her from getting into the kitchen. I wanted to ask her something first.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Don't you like my gift?" I asked back.

"What? No! I like it!" she replied. "I like it so much. I love it."

"Then why didn't you put it on?" I asked again.

Carly laughed softly and grabbed the box from the coffee table before handing it back to me. Was she returning it? "Here, take it."

"What? It's yours!" I almost yelled at her but she didn't take her hand back.

"I know it's mine." she replied.

"Then why are you giving it back?" I didn't know what was going on or what in the world was inside that brain of hers.

"I'm not giving it back." she paused, "I just want you to be the one to put it on me."

"Oh."

I finally smiled before grabbing it from her. I took the locket out of its box and walked behind her. Carly held her hair to one side, exposing a part of the back of her neck to me. Slowly, I put the locket on her and after securing it, I grabbed both of her shoulders.

"Stay still." I whispered to her.

Carly didn't move and I found my arms circling around her waist and closing on her stomach. I rested my head on the back of her head and just let her scent intoxicate me. I wanted to tell Carly how I felt for her over and over again but the words wouldn't come out of me. So many times, I'd do things to let her know somehow how much she means to me. And this was one of those.

"This is unfair." she chuckled softly after a while.

I tightened my grip around her to let her know that I didn't want to let go yet but she still managed to pull my hands away. Without letting go of my hand, she turned to me. The way her eyes and her lips were smiling made my stomach tie up in knots.

Carly circled her arms around me and rested her head against my chest.I closed my arms around her and pulled her closer. I wondered if she could feel my heart beating faster than normal at that very moment.

"See?" she giggled. "This is better."

* * *

** A/N: **

**Sorry, I had to shorten the gift-giving part because if not, this would be a lot longer.**

**I hope you guys like it!  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**CARLY'S POV**

"Carly!" Spencer whispered to me while Socko, his best man, and the groomsmen including Freddie were already marching towards the altar one by one. "Carly, I'm nervous and I'm sweating. Can't we postpone this tomorrow?"

I laughed softly and looked at my brother. "You'll be fine. This is your day. Everything would turn out great." I assured him as I fixed his tie. I literally jumped when I accidentally pressed some button in it that made his tie light up in different colors.

"Spencer!" I scolded him, trying to find the 'off' button in his tie which I was sure he got from Tyler again. "Turn this thing off! Now!"

The guests sitting at the back portion of the church looked at us in confusion. Spencer and I just smiled at them apologetically before he shut the thing off. That made me wonder if he just picked the wrong tie or he chose this one on purpose. I should have supervised Freddie and Spencer while they were getting ready. I knew something like this would happen.

The wedding coordinator they hired told us to start walking so I hooked my arm on Spencer's elbow and we marched slowly towards the altar. I was the one who walked beside him because dad wasn't able to make it. There was an emergency underwater so he couldn't get off the submarine in time for the wedding. But he made up for it by sending two tickets to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

"Carly!" Spencer whispered again halfway down the aisle.

"What?" I hissed, trying my very best not to let the guests notice the little conversation happening between me and my brother.

"Carly, I'm gonna make a run for it. Cover me." he said in a shaky voice.

"Stop it!"

We smiled and posed for the camera as if we weren't just speaking of his break-out before we reached the end where Socko, Freddie and the others were waiting. I smiled at Freddie as we stopped so Spencer and I could have our own moment. When we pulled apart, he took Freddie's hand and mine and laced it together. We stared at him in confusion, hands still locked between us.

"Take care of Carly, Freddie. I know you're gonna be a good husband to her." He said seriously.

"Dude!"

"Spencer!"

The chizz was interrupted when the Bridal March started playing. Sasha's five-year old sister walked gracefully as she sprinkled some flower petals on the red carpet where Sasha would be walking on. The bridesmaids followed and I noticed Freddie was staring at them with his eyes all wide so I faked a cough to interrupt him from drooling.

"Sorry. They just look really pretty." he apologized and I glared at him. "Did I say they're pretty? Because you're way prettier than them today. Yep. You're even prettier than Sasha, kisses."

I chuckled softly and it was Spencer's turn to glare at us.

Sasha, who looked really enchanting in her white wedding gown, finally approached us with her dad by her side. He shook Spencer's hand before surrendering his daughter to him. It was such a bittersweet moment for them. I could even see Sasha's tears through her veil but her smile was definitely reaching her ears. Spencer led his soon-to-be wife up the altar and everybody went silent for the ceremony.

I was about to go to the other side of the church where the ladies were supposed to be sitting when I realized that our hands were still intertwined together.

"Freddie..." He looked at me but he didn't do anything so I raised our hands up for him to see.

"Oh, sorry." he blushed, smiled, and then let go.

I stood beside the girls as we listened to the priest's opening words. Freddie and I would look at each other once in a while and smile. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing that was on my mind- the pact. I knew we were still on our freshman year and it wouldn't happen anytime soon. I'd just be turning twenty in a few months and not because we were single now, we'd still be until my twenty-sixth birthday.

But if anyone would ask me, I wanted _him _to be someone like Freddie. Sweet, understanding, protective, and everything a girl like me could ask for. Or better yet, I wanted _him_ to be Freddie. Wait! Did I just say that?

"Stop!!" The church doors suddenly opened and everyone turned to look at the direction where the loud voice came from, including Spencer and Sasha.

Shit! I knew that voice!

"Sam??" I asked as I watched my best friend catch her breath in the middle of the aisle. "What the--? Oh. my. God. You're in love with my brother and you're here to stop him from marrying Sasha! I knew it! Oh dear."

Sam looked at me and then at everyone else, and then back at me. "What?! Seriously? I'm not in love with Spencer!"

"Then, why--"

"I just don't want the wedding to start without me." she explained and I felt relief wash through me. I walked towards her and yanked her hand, dragging her to where we would be sitting.

"Sorry." I told all the people inside the church before turning to the priest. "Sorry Father. Please, proceed."

Everything turned out the way it was supposed to after that little incident with Sam. And I really thought she was in love with Spencer! Anyway, she better not be late on my own wedding day or else, I'd never forgive her. A bride couldn't go without her maid-of-honor, right?

"Hey! You wore the locket!" Freddie stated happily as we sat on our table during the reception held at Crown Ridge hotel. "It looks great on you."

The newlyweds were everywhere, making sure their guests were fine with their food while Sam was still busy finishing her second plate of ribs and fried chicken. Freddie and I were already done with ours so we were just waiting for the program to resume.

"Thanks. I always wear it. Even at school. Don't you notice? I've been wearing it for months!" I told him.

"I notice that. You don't know how happy I am whenever I see it on you. So... is the other half still empty?" he asked. I knew he wanted to ask me that since forever.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I opened the locket and showed him whose picture I put inside. He leaned closer and after I made sure he got a clear view, I closed it again and smiled at him as I waited for his reaction.

"I... I look dorky in that shot."

"You look dorky in every shot."

"Sam!"

"Ignore her." he instructed and I giggled. "So... you put my picture." he laughed softly while shaking his head. It was as if he couldn't believe what he just saw.

"What?"

"Nothing." he smiled. "Why me?"

Honestly, I didn't know either. All I knew was that after Freddie left that night before Christmas, I found myself cutting a picture of him before getting ready for bed. It was so easy for me to decide on whose picture I was going to put beside mine. I just didn't know why. Could it be because I was already accepting the fact that it would be me and Freddie in the end?

Thank God before I could answer him, Sasha dragged me and Sam towards the middle of the room where all the other ladies were despite Sam's protest. She said she still wasn't done with her food and she didn't want to participate in the next part of the program. Oh boy. Sasha was going to toss her bouquet and the lucky one who catches it would be the next one to walk down the aisle!

"Ready girls?" Sasha asked.

The girls, which I guessed majority were Sasha's girlfriends, squealed in excitement while Sam and I just looked at each other and shrugged. Getting married wasn't on our plans yet.

I saw Sasha wink at me before she turned her back on us. Spencer counted from five to one while Sam and I were busy being bumped by the over-excited single ladies around us. Sam was busy pushing some of them while I just stood there, praying silently that the bouquet wouldn't land on me.

And of course. It did. I wasn't even waiting for it to fall into my arms. I just felt something hit my chest and when I held it, it was Sasha's bouquet. I stared at it for a while before looking up. Sasha was grinning at me. Spencer had this worried look on his face. And Sam's smirk was disturbing me. I looked at Freddie who was still sitting on his seat and his reaction just mirrored mine.

"And Carly Shay got it!" Gibby announced. "Now, time for the groom to remove the garter from the bride's legs!"

Sam and I went back to our seats with the flowers still in my hands. We watched Sasha sit on the chair in the middle of the room and Spencer kneel down in front of her. Oh man. I almost forgot about the garter! Thinking of what Spencer was about to do and hearing the cheers of everybody in the room, including Sam, made me want to run away and hide myself inside the bathroom.

Spencer removed the garter quickly and raised it for everyone to see. He was sweating and it looked like he just survived a war.

"Now, may we call on every bachelor in this room for the garter tossing!" Gibby announced again.

I figured four to seven guys would stand up to participate. But I was wrong again.

"Wow. Look at all those guys!" Sam exclaimed and the smirk she had on her face was still there. "No one should really underestimate your charm, cupcake. I wonder who would be the lucky guy to put the garter on you?"

"Sam!" I scolded her for the thousandth time. She really wasn't helping at all.

The next thing we knew, Freddie stood up from his seat without a word and joined the guys in the middle of the room.

"There he goes, ladies and gentlemen." Sam said mockingly in a sing-song voice. "Carly's knight in shining armor never fails to fight his battles."

I ignored Sam and just prayed silently on my seat. "Please, let it be Freddie. Please. Oh please."

I looked at Sam and she had this weird look on her face. "What? I wanted someone I know to put the garter on me!" I said defensively.

"Whatever you say, Carly. Whatever you say!" Sam threw her arms in the air and kept quiet for a while to watch the garter-tossing.

Spencer turned around and after Gibby counted to three, the garter flew over his head. The guys jumped in attempts to catch it. I couldn't seem to find Freddie from the 'giant sea of boy'. I hoped he wasn't hurt because really, some of them were already on the ground, pushing each other, and throwing themselves wherever.

Sam and I stood up on our chairs to have a clear view of what was happening.

"You see him?" I asked her.

"Yep. There he is!"

"Where? Where's Freddie?"

"Oh. Sorry. I was looking at that hot guy in blue."

I groaned.

After the commotion had subsided, the guys stood up one by one and started fixing themselves. Some of them slowly returned to their seats. Some were still looking for the garter on the ground. I wanted to yell at them and tell them to get over it already but my mind was focused on finding Freddie.

"Who got it?" Gibby asked but none of them responded.

Freddie was still nowhere and I was starting to get worried. There were still a few on the ground. It looked like a game of football between guys in tuxes and polo shirts. After all the guys have stood up, someone remained laying on the ground. He was holding the garter up high with his right hand but he still wasn't standing up. Freddie!

Gibby and Spencer helped him back to his feet. They shook the dust off his tux and snapped their fingers in front of his face. When Freddie almost looked normal again, I sighed and got off the chair.

"It looks like Freddie's our lucky guy! Sorry guys. But my friend here wouldn't just let anyone put that garter on Carly." Gibby announced in the microphone and I saw Freddie shot him a deathly glare. I felt like I was melting with all those humiliation and all I wanted to do was to hide myself under the table until the program was over.

"May we call on Ms. Carly Shay to please sit on this chair."

I refused to move until Sasha dragged me towards the middle of the room where Freddie and Spencer were. She made me sit on the special chair and I had no choice. To make it worse, people started chanting Freddie's name as if we were in a wrestling match instead of a wedding reception. Sam was leading those cheers, of course.

"Go on, Freddie!" Gibby yelled at him.

Before Freddie could kneel down in front of me, Spencer blocked his way.

"Hold it!" he exclaimed, raising his arms sidewards which made the people in the room explode in laughter. "No one's touching my little sister!"

Thank you, brother dear!

"Honey, just get off there! You're spoiling the fun! Carly will be fine."

"But... But---"

Sasha pulled Spencer towards her and just like me, he had no choice.

And there goes my last chance. Freddie slowly knelt down in front of me and looked into my eyes as he toyed with the garter in his hands.

"We can make a run for it, you know." he joked but I could tell he was just trying to lighten up the mood.

I smiled at him for trying anyway. "Let's just get this thing over with."

Freddie started put the garter on me until it was wrapped around my ankle. He raised it up slowly until it touched the portion just below my knee. He was careful not to brush his fingers against my skin and I thanked him for that. When the garter was a little bit above my knee, he stopped and the crowd applauded.

I let out a heavy breath. It was over. Finally!

"Higher! Higher!"

Or so I thought. It was over until Sam shouted, encouraging the other guests to do the same. She was so going to get it later!

Freddie had no choice but to pull the garter higher. He looked at me one more time as if he was asking for my permission. I didn't nod. I didn't shake my head either. So he turned to Spencer and Sasha for help. Spencer was shaking his head and Sasha was nodding. So much for the help we were seeking.

"Higher! Higher! Higher!" Oh Sam.

Great. Just great.

"Please do it quickly." I begged him.

Freddie nodded and soon, I felt his hands under my dress again. Just the same, he was still careful about not touching my skin. I told myself that this was just Freddie, my best friend, and I trust him. I closed my eyes and felt the garter brush against my thigh as it went higher. He did it quickly and the next thing I knew, it was over. For real.

"That's it? Higher! Higher! Hi--" I glared at Sam, enough to make her shut up and laugh to herself.

Freddie held out his hand and I reached for it. We were about to go back to our table when Gibby announced something again.

"Thank you guys . But you're not allowed to go yet." he started and we both stopped to listen to what he was going to say next. "For our next part of the program, Carly and Freddie are gonna share a dance together with the newlyweds."

Freddie and I looked at each other while Sasha and my brother stood next to us. The DJ started playing a song and we could only watch the two of them start swaying to the music. The sparks in their eyes were undeniable and I felt happy for them, especially for Spencer.

"I said dance with them, not just stare at them and watch them. Go on." Gibby whispered.

_So many nights, I'd sit by my window,  
Waiting for someone to sing me his song.  
So many dreams, I kept deep inside me,  
Alone in the dark, now you've come along._

We looked at each other and smiled. He took a bow playfully and I curtsied. He held my left hand tighter while his free hand went down my waist and mine went up to his shoulder. We were neither talking nor looking at each other's eyes. We just stood there, swaying gently from left to right.

_And you light up my life,  
You give me hope, to carry on.  
You light up my days  
And fill my nights with song._

"Please say something, kisses." Freddie suddenly whispered. "Anything."

"Hello, Freddie." I replied, still not looking at him, and he chuckled.

_Rollin' at sea, adrift on the waters  
Could it be finally, I'm turning for home  
Finally a chance to say, "Hey, I Love You"  
Never again to be all alone. _

"You're not mad at me are you?" he asked.

I stared at him this time and smiled. "I'm not mad at you. I'm even glad you're the one who caught it and not some random dude who just wanna get his hands under my skirt."

"I'm sorry we had to go through all that." he apologized.

"It's fine. Maybe I'll even let you remove the garter later." I raised my eyebrows at him and giggled.

"That's naughty." he showed his cute dimples again as he smiled.

"I was kidding!"

_And you light up my life,  
You give me hope, to carry on.  
You light up my days  
And fill my nights with song._

"What are you thinking?" I asked as I removed my hand from his grip and circled them around his neck so I could rest my head against his chest.

I could feel him pull me closer as his hands closed around my back. "I'm thinking of what would happen in the future. You know... seven years from now?"

"Seven years from now?" I repeated softly. So he was thinking about the pact we made too. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking we would be dancing like this too. You and Me. Except you're not the maid-of-honor and I'm not the groomsman anymore." he answered boldly and I detected hints of happiness and hope from his voice.

I laughed against his tux. "Are you asking me to marry you, Fredward Benson?"

He laughed too. "Well, will you?"

I tilted my head and met his gaze. His eyes were smiling and I liked it. "Ask me in seven years again. We'll see what happens then."

The look on his face changed and I could tell he would mean the words that he would be saying next.

"Mark my words, kisses. I will. One day, someday. I'm gonna ask you to walk down the aisle with me and say 'I do'."

And I would wait for that day.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I think this is the longest chapter I have written for this fanfic so far. I hope you guys like it! Thanks to everyone who are still reading and reviewing this story! And Sorry if it's taking these two so long to get together. Don't you just wanna smack them in the head? Haha. ^_^**

**The song I used for the wedding reception dance is 'You Light Up My Life'. Various artists recorded the song but I liked the version of LeAnn Rimes better. Maybe because it was the first one I heard. lol  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**CARLY'S POV**

Four years had passed and finally, Freddie and I got our degree. After spending years together in Stanford, nothing had changed between me and my best friend except for the fact that we just got closer and closer every single day. He still fulfilled his duty as my knight in shining armor, rescuing me from ogres and trolls who would try to take my heart and break it after.

He didn't stop me from dating anyone and I didn't stop him either. It was part of the pact we made before. He actually went out with several girls during college. Some of them I liked, while some were just stuck-up crazies who couldn't live without looking at the mirror every second of the day. But none of those relationships were serious.

As for me, I never found _my prince _at Stanford. True, I dated guys too, even after that traumatizing experience with Brad. But in the end, I just ended up comparing them to Freddie. I tried so hard not to but I couldn't help myself! That was when I realized that my best friend was one of a kind, and no other guy could make me feel what Freddie makes me feel.

Why Freddie and I never tried it? I didn't really know. What I did know was what we had isn't just a typical best friend relationship. It was something special and at this point in my life, I could safely say that I could no longer picture my life without him.

* * *

"Carlyyy!" I heard him yell from downstairs.

I hurriedly finished combing my hair in front of my mirror before grabbing my purse to meet him. When I reached the living room, I saw Freddie sitting comfortably on the couch, eyes glued to the TV in front of him.

I smiled to myself before grabbing the remote from him and turning the television off. "Let's go! Hurry up! It's getting dark." I said excitedly as I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the elevator.

"I'm not the one who took so long to make myself super attractive!" he snickered as we waited for the elevator to reach the lobby.

So that was what I looked like to him. "Super attractive?" I raised my eyebrows and grinned.

Freddie suddenly thought of what he had said and before I could trap him and make him admit that I'm super attractive in his eyes, he pinched my nose and fled towards Cukey. I just shook my head and skipped to catch up, ignoring Lewbert's annoying screams.

"So when's the big interview?" I asked as we hit the road towards the airport to pick up Sam.

"Monday next week." he replied casually.

"What?" I started to panic. "But that's the date of Sam and I's flower shop opening. You can't be absent there."

He laughed softly. "Relax. The interview is in the morning and the opening is in the afternoon. I'll be there. I know how important it is to you and Sam... Well, mostly to you. So I won't miss it for anything in the world."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. But if you're not there..."

"You are a hard-headed woman!" he laughed and I pouted in my seat. "Okay, tell you what. If I don't make it, I'm gonna treat you and Sam dinner for one whole week!"

I thought for a while. His suggestion wasn't that bad considering how much food my other best friend could consume. But I needed to make sure that Freddie would never ever think of ditching the event. "One month."

"What?" he scoffed. "You're crazy! And I'm not even sure if I'd get the job!"

I rolled my eyes though he couldn't see me. "You're lucky Sam's not yet here! I bet she'd ask for a year supply of free dinner from you."

"Okay, okay! You win!" he groaned, giving in eventually.

When we reached the airport, Sam was already waiting for us, sitting on one of those benches they had inside. She looked irritated and I felt guilty right away, knowing that it was me who took so long to get ready. But the look on her face changed when she saw me and Freddie, walking hand in hand towards her.

"Sam! Sorry we took so long!" I apologized as we hugged, finally letting go of Freddie's hand.

"It's okay." she smiled and gave Freddie a tap on his shoulder. "I'm just starting to get hungry."

"Surprise, surprise!" Freddie teased and Sam gave him one of those frightening glares of her that always makes him swallow hard and take a step back.

"Here." We watched her lift her over-sized baggage, probably full of fatcakes, and drop it in front of Freddie. "Take that to the car."

"Ouch! Sam!" He winced as he lifted his right foot. He drew the attention of almost everyone within the area and I couldn't help but laugh at him. He looked so cute dancing weirdly when in fact, his foot was hurting. It reminded me of the time when he made a fool out of himself during our dorm's party just to make me smile.

"Don't forget to carry those too." Sam pointed her finger at the three handbags behind him.

I walked over to those bags, thinking of helping him. But before I could grab one, Sam stopped me.

"Let him do that. It's the price he has to pay for talking to momma like that. Let's go cupcake! You have a lot of stories to tell me starting with why you were holding hands with Frednub Benson." Sam held my hand and started to drag me towards the parking lot. Since I couldn't do anything about it, I just gave Freddie an apologetic look before I turned around and walked with Sam.

We could hear Freddie groaning behind us as he pulled Sam's trolley behind him, trying hard not to trip over with those handbags strapped around his shoulders.

"Faster, Freddie." Sam told him and we continued walking.

He was still mumbling angry words as we reached the car. He even closed the trunk forcefully, causing Sam to smile satisfyingly at the backseat. She really knew how to get on his nerves. I sometimes wondered if Sam was the only person who could irritate him like that because believe me, no matter how hard I try to annoy him, it was me who would always end up in a bad mood first.

"I am not carrying your stupid bags later!" he said as he started the engine.

Sam just shrugged. "No prob. I'd make Lewbert do it."

"Good luck with that." I laughed.

Freddie's head seemed to be cooling off quickly as we were nearing our apartment building where Sam would be staying from now on. After she graduated, her mom and dad finally let her do whatever she wants in Seattle, in one condition - she had to live in the apartment with me. I agreed as soon as Sam called me to tell the news. Since Spencer moved out after his wedding, the apartment became my sole possession.

It was so good to have the iCarly gang together again without worrying about the time left for us to spend together. Now that Sam and I would be opening our own business, and Freddie working as a Computer and Information Systems Manager at a large corporation (granted he'd get the job on Tuesday), everything would be exactly the way it was years ago. Just like the old times.

"Where do you guys want to eat dinner?" I asked after we laughed our heads off at Sam's story about the prank she pulled on one of her professors.

"Momma wants burger!" Sam said enthusiastically.

I was about to agree with her but Freddie cut me off. "Burger? But Carly and I just had those yesterday! Can't we try something else? I know a really good place that serves the best seafood. You'd like that Carls, right?"

"Yeah. Of cou--"

"Boo Benson! Burger! Burger!" Sam chanted.

Freddie looked at me as if the decision depended on me. Once again, I gave him an apologetic look. "Let's just go eat where Sam wants to. We could always try that restaurant you're talking about some other time."

"Fine!" he said. "But I won't take Sam with us!"

I sighed. "Freddie..."

"Wow Fredward! Way to ask Carly out on a date!" Sam teased before mocking him in a sing-song voice. "Oh, let's not take Sam because I want to be alone with you, blahberry blueberry blah!"

Again, I sighed. "Sam..."

"It's none of your business Puckett!" he retorted, using the rear view mirror to shot her a deathly glare. Something told me that things were about to get ugly anytime soon.

"So... You were really asking me on a date?" I teased him instead.

"Well, it's not like a date." he said coolly. "We always go out together to eat, don't we?

"Oh yeah." I nodded, quite relieved that their fight was over.

"You guys disgust me!" Sam commented.

We arrived at the fast-food restaurant where Sam wanted to eat which was just a few blocks away from Bushwell. As soon as Freddie pulled the car over, we went inside to place our orders. Sam and I already got our food so we proceeded to find an empty table while waiting for Freddie.

"Come on! Eat your food. It's so gooood." She said with a mouth full of fries.

I took a sip of my soda before I answered her. "I'll wait for Freddie."

Sam just shrugged and continued eating.

Five minutes had passed and Freddie still hadn't arrived. Sam had already finished one of her burgers and was already on her second one. Feeling a little bit hungry watching my best friend eat, I stood up to check on Freddie.

When I arrived at the counter, I saw his tray beside him, already complete with his orders. What was taking him so long? The waitress! Since there were no other customers around, she was free to flirt with him! They were both leaning forward and she was giggling occasionally while he was telling her some story about beating up a guy at Stanford which I was sure was Brad basing from what I was hearing.

Quietly, I walked over to them and stood beside Freddie.

"You forgot to tell her why you beat the crap out of Brad, Freddie." I said sweetly. Freddie jumped a little when I looked at him before turning my attention to the girl whose reaction was indeed priceless. Her mouth was wide open and I could tell she wanted to say something but my intimidating presence was stopping her.

"Carly..." Freddie hissed but I ignored him.

"He did it to protect me." I smiled at her before continuing my story. "You see, Brad was my ex-boyfriend. We broke up because he caught me dancing with Freddie. He was so mad that he threatened to hurt me. Good thing Freddie was there. He's always there. Sweet, right? Anyway, the food's getting cold. Nice meeting you."

I grabbed the tray and shoved it to Freddie. He was still in shock but he caught it anyway.

"If you don't get your butt there in ten seconds, you'll be walking home!" I whispered in his ear as I passed by him before going back to our table.

Few seconds after I sat on my seat, Freddie followed.

"Dude! What took you so long?" Sam asked him.

"I uh..."

"Just an order mishap. Anyway, let's just eat so we can get out of here already." I replied to Sam, smiling to myself the whole time.

We were on our way out of the fast-food restaurant after eating when the waitress called Freddie. He looked hesitant to go to her at first but she was calling his name over and over again. Sam was so annoyed that she went outside immediately and decided to wait for us in the car.

I stared at him intensely, as if telling him with my eyes not to go.

"I'll meet you outside in a minute." Freddie whispered to me before he turned to her.

"Fine!" I opened the door angrily and slammed it.

I got on the driver's seat and looked for the duplicate key inside my purse. When I found it, I immediately started the engine. Freddie would hate me for doing this but it was his fault! He could have ignored her but no! He told me to wait for him while he was busy flirting with that stupid girl!

"You're driving?" Sam asked from the backseat of the car.

I grinned devilishly. "Yeah. You can transfer here in front. Freddie won't be riding home with us."

Sam did what I said and didn't ask anymore questions during our ride home. I guessed she was too tired and full to exert effort by doing anything.

When we arrived home, she took a quick shower before locking herself inside her room, which was Spencer's previous room. I had it painted and decorated right after she told me she'd be staying with me. After I made sure Sam had everything she needed, I grabbed the newspaper on top of the coffee table and decided to read while waiting.

Ten minutes after, the door opened with a loud bang. Good thing Sam was a heavy-sleeper.

"Oh. Hi Freddie." I greeted him casually before fixing my eyes on the newspaper again.

He was gasping for air, clearly exhausted from walking. "Why did you do that?"

I dropped the magazine on the table and stood up to face him. "Sam's tired. She wants to sleep." I replied to him, still pretending that this was just a normal conversation we were having. At least what I said was true. Sam was really exhausted.

"You could have called me inside and told me we were leaving!"

I shook my head and smirked. "Oh, I don't want to interrupt you and your pretty little waitress from getting to know each other more. What kind of best friend would that make me?"

H raised his eyebrows at me. "So you'd rather leave me there, taking the car with you than interrupt us?"

"Yep." I nodded and smiled. I loved how he was getting irritated every moment. It was too enjoyable for me.

He groaned before he took a step forward. "You know what? You're just jealous!"

I froze for a moment but I shook it off. I took one step forward too until our faces were only inches apart. "Not even a little bit!"

"Admit it!"

"I am not jealous!"

"Then why did you leave me there? You know how far I had to walk just to get back here?"

"Stop whining like a little girl! You could have taken a cab!"

"I didn't bring anything with me except that 10 dollar bill inside my pocket which I already used to buy food!"

"How is that my fault?"

"You left me there!"

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch. Watching television would be so much better than arguing with Freddie. We were going nowhere with that type of conversation. We'd just piss each other off and hate each other for the rest of our lives.

"Carly..." he muttered under his breath as he sat down beside me.

I crossed my hands stiffly against my chest and ignored him. I wasn't giving in that easily.

"My back is killing me." he suddenly stated.

I turned to look at him. He was rubbing the back of his shoulder furiously. I couldn't stand seeing him like that even though we were not in good terms as of that moment.

And of course, I gave in.

I sighed and shook my head. "That's what you get from carrying Sam's handbags. Come here."

He scooted closer to me without any word.

"Turn around." I instructed him.

I rubbed the aching part slowly until his muscles began to relax. I used to do this to him after every swimming competition during our college days.

"Thanks." He whispered. "Just so you know, she just gave me her number."

"Well that made me feel better!" I replied sarcastically, punching his shoulder once before I continued giving him a massage.

"Hey!" Freddie took out a small piece of paper from his pocket and tore it into tiny little pieces in front of me. "There."

He turned to me and I stopped whatever I was doing to give him a smile. "You're not gonna call her?"

"I have her number in my phone anyways." he smirked and I gave him another playful punch on his shoulder.

"I was kidding, Carls!"

"Oh, I know." I smiled at him and he smiled back.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I want to apologize to all the readers who think that it's taking Carly and Freddie so long to go out. As I've said before, this story is long and if things would turn out according to plan, I can safely say that it's still not halfway done. I'm planning to use episodic plot for the story so expect more loosely connected incidents to come.**

**Anyway, even if they're still not together up to now, it doesn't mean that there will be less Creddie goodness to enjoy, right? That, I can promise. ^_^**

**Oh, and sorry to all those who think that Freddie calling Carly 'Kisses' is kinda corny. The term's just special to me and since it's been mentioned in several chapters, I can't just drop it. But I'll try not to use it always. Sounds good?**

**Thanks everyone! I seriously never thought I'd get 300 reviews for this story! You guys are amazing! Thanks again! ^_^  
**


	24. Chapter 24

Carly just got down from the second floor, about to make breakfast for herself and Sam when she heard someone knocking on the door. She groaned as she made her way to see who it was. It was too early for a visitor but when she opened it and saw that it was Freddie, her face lit up automatically.

"Hey." she greeted him as he let him in. "You look very professional."

"Thanks." He made his way inside and turned to her. "Please help me with my tie?"

Carly smiled before she closed the distance between the two of them.

"This is what happens when you rely so much on your mom." she teased as she helped him fix his tie.

He just rolled his eyes and chuckled. She was right though. Mrs. Benson used to do these kind of things for her only son. But since her job assigned her to New York last month, Freddie was living on his own and he was totally cool with it.

"There." she patted him on the chest gently. "What will you do without me?"

"That's why you're stuck with me." he tapped her nose with his finger and smiled sweetly at her.

Carly smiled back before she made her way into the kitchen to start whatever it was that she needed to do before Freddie came in. He followed her, still feeling nervous about his upcoming job interview.

"You want anything?" she asked him.

"I'm good. I had coffee before I went here." he replied as he leaned against the counter, watching her go around the kitchen.

"Just coffee?" she shook her head and stood in front of him, placing her hands on her hips. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Freddie. You shouldn't skip it especially during big days like this." she scolded him like she was his mom before continuing her work.

"But I'm not hungry!"

"You are eating whether you like it or not." she said sharply, pointing her finger at him. "Now, sit down. This will only take a while."

Freddie groaned as he took a seat. He was thinking of running away and heading straight to his job interview but Carly would never forgive him for that. She hated it whenever he would disobey her especially if, according to her, it was for his own sake.

He suddenly remembered the time when she yelled at him non-stop for taking Cukey to drag racing against his classmates back at Stanford. She said she would never forgive him if he crashed the car which of course he didn't believe because it was insured in the first place and if there is one person who loved the car so much, that would be him. Freddie admitted it was his fault and he said he'd never do it again but she continued on rambling about it until she finally said what she really wanted to say.

_You could have hurt yourself with that stupid drag racing! And I don't even care if Cukey gets crashed or something because I can replace that car anytime I want. But you! I can never replace you, can't I? I really don't know what I'd do if something bad ever happens to you! I can't lose you! __Are you even listening to me, Fredward Benson?_

He thought she was over-reacting because nothing really happened. Both him and Cukey were fine and he only did it for fun. But he couldn't make himself blame her. He was even taken aback with what he heard. Yes, Freddie knew he was important to her, but he was never aware that he was _that _important.

He could only hug her tight and tell her that she's never going to lose him, ever. When she finally calmed down, they both went out to get some ice cream. It was that easy.

"You care for me." Freddie suddenly blurted out after his little trip down to memory lane as if he found out something new that he needed to share with the world.

"Of course, I do!" Carly answered truthfully as she cracked an egg to fry.

"You love me." he stated again.

"Of course, I do!" Her eyes opened wide as soon as the words came out of her lips. She almost smacked herself in the head but she held back. It would be too obvious if she showed any sign of freaking out. That was her ultimate weakness ever since. "You're my best friend. That's why I love you. Best friends love each other, right? I love Sam too because she's my best friend in the whole world. But that doesn't mean I love her more than you."

She stopped herself when she realized she was running out of breath again. One of the many signs that she was indeed freaking out.

"Riiiight." He raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

Sam then stormed inside the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep in her eyes. She would have slept for who knows until when but the smell of eggs and bacon was too much for her to resist.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Benson." she teased them before taking her seat next to Freddie. He nodded to acknowledge her presence in the room.

"Morning Sam. We didn't wake you up, did we?" Carly bit her lip as she spoke.

"Nah. I smelled what you're cooking so I got up earlier than usual." she answered her before looking at Freddie. Noticing he was looking very odd that day, she started to check him out from head to toe. "Wow Frederica. You look very... professional."

"How come it sounds like a compliment when Carly says it and an insult when it comes from you?" he asked.

"It's because it is an insult." Sam rolled her eyes at him. "Carly wasn't complimenting you. Right, Carls?" She asked confidently.

"Carly?" Freddie called out to her. "Please tell your obnoxious best friend that you weren't insulting me when you said that."

Carly pretended not to hear any of them. Of course, she really thought that Freddie looked very professional, in a good way. She just didn't want Sam to know that she thought of him that way. She knew she'd just get one of those disgusted looks from her. Up to that very day, Sam still thought of Freddie as the dorky technical producer of iCarly when in fact, he turned into a total heartthrob. At least in Carly's eyes, he did.

"Bon Appetit." She says sweetly instead as she put the plates of bacon and egg on the table before sitting right across her best friends.

Carly knew that the three of them could never eat breakfast (or any particular meal for that matter) peacefully. Sam and Freddie still expressed their hatred for each other while they were eating which Carly tried so much to ignore. Many times, she'd change the subject but then Sam would say something that would piss him off and he would try to make a great comeback. It's been like that since day one.

After eating, Carly dumped the dishes into the sink and walked Freddie towards the elevator. Sam quickly went back to bed to continue her slumber though they all knew that she was just using that as an excuse so she wouldn't have to help Carly with the dishes.

"Break a leg." Carly told Freddie while waiting for the lift to come up.

"God!" he exclaimed. "I'm so nervous!"

She chuckled softly. "You'll do fine! Now stop worrying before you pee on your pants."

"Well, that helped!" he laughed and the elevator doors suddenly opened before them. "I gotta go. Thanks for the breakfast, kisses."

"You're welcome." she replied, watching him go inside the elevator. "Oh, and don't forget the opening later!"

Freddie was about to push the button when he realized he forgot something important. Quickly, he stepped outside the box before the door closes and gave his unsuspecting best friend a little goodbye kiss on her cheek. "I won't. See you later!"

Carly found herself smiling for a few seconds before she realized that she looked like a complete idiot standing there alone. After she got over the kiss, she decided to wake Sam up so they could already start the last minute preparations for their flower shop opening.

Meanwhile, Freddie was still uneasy as he arrived at the office. He was asked to sit and wait until the interviewer was ready for him. He was acting like he did nothing to prepare for this when in fact, this was all he could think about for the past few days.

He gathered every information he needed to know, he researched about things you should or shouldn't say during a job interview, and he even pretended he didn't know how to do his tie because the truth was, he just wanted to see Carly. She always gives him the courage he needed.

But he wasn't planning on telling her that at the moment. Maybe someday...

His train of thoughts was disturbed by the vibration of his phone inside his pocket. He took it out and a smile immediately flashed upon his face when he saw who sent him a text message.

_Gudluck. :)  
_

Carly. Even a simple text message from her made his smile reach his ears. He was about to call her when the secretary told him he was on. He let out a heavy sigh and then he put his phone back in his pocket.

"Fredward Benson... Impressive. Stanford, huh?" A forty-something man in a gray suit flashes a professional smile while scanning his resume. "Have a seat."

Freddie took a seat and the interview began.

While Freddie was doing his best looking smart and answering questions, Carly and Sam, on the other hand, were busy making sure everything was perfect for the event. Spencer already dropped his sculptures off. He gave them some of his greatest works to display in the store. Wendy, their high school classmate, would be working for them as the store manager while Gibby volunteered to be their delivery guy since his writing career would only require him to stay at home.

* * *

"Where's Freddie?" Carly was starting to panic.

The guests, which consisted of their closest friends along with some other people who wanted to know what the iCarly stars were up to, started to arrive one by one at the shop. Everything was perfect and ready but Carly refused to start without her best friend.

"I don't know where the nub is." Sam shrugged.

Carly was about to phone him when Freddie suddenly entered through the door with a smile plastered upon his face. As soon as their eyes met, Carly smiled at him. She knew that he did well with his interview.

Freddie then stood beside Spencer while Carly and Sam stood in front, ready to make their opening speeches.

"Hey." Carly started nervously and everyone turned to look at her. "First of all, I wanna thank you guys for coming. This is really special for me and Sam and we're really glad that you came to share this with us. One of the many objectives of this event is to thank those who were instrumental in making this a reality. So, thank you. Without you guys, none of this would be possible." She glanced at Spencer and Freddie who were smiling at her at that moment before she turned to Sam. "I believe my all-time best friend and now, business partner, has something to say too."

"Wazzup people!" Sam said energetically and everyone in the room laughed. "Let me tell you the story about how it all began. A few months ago, Carly and I had no idea about what we wanted to do right after we graduate. I couldn't quite remember how we came up with this because the next thing we knew, we were already planning to start our very own business. I suggested to her that we should open a butchery simply because I love meat. But Carly said that would make us smell like raw beef all the time. So I suggested opening a restaurant instead and naming it after our little webshow, iCarly, but Frederica over there said that I would just eat whatever we would be selling. Since I couldn't make myself promise that I would never do that, Carly came up with this brilliant idea and we all liked it because come on people! Who doesn't like flowers?"

"And with that, a toast to Carly and Sam and their new business!" Gibby raised his glass of champagne as soon as Sam finished her speech and everyone followed his league.

The music started to play and the girls were soon enveloped by people who wanted to congratulate them. When they were both free, Sam immediately headed towards the buffet table while Carly made her way towards her boys who were patiently waiting for her.

"Hey! Congratulations!" Spencer exclaimed as he gave her a big hug and spun her around like he always did.

"Thanks. Where's Sasha and Natasha?" she asked, referring to her sister-in-law and her seven month old niece.

"They're at home. They were supposed to come with me but Sasha's dad gave us a surprise visit from Fresno. He's only gonna be here until tonight so she couldn't leave the house. But she asked me to tell you and Sam congratulations." he replied.

"Oh, tell her thanks and stop by anytime she wants. I miss baby Natasha a lot."

"Of course." Spencer smiled. He knew how much Carly was fond of his baby daughter. When Carly and Freddie got back in Seattle after their graduation, she would always drive towards his house everyday, dragging Freddie along with her, to see Natasha. "Anyway, I gotta head back home. I'll see you guys some other time, okay?"

Carly and Freddie nodded as they watched Spencer leave.

"So... how did it go?" she asked although she kinda knew the answer already.

He smiled sheepishly. "Okay."

"Just okay?" she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well, they didn't actually tell me that I got the job." he paused, "They just said I could start next week."

The next thing he knew, she already crushed herself against him, almost throwing both of them out of balance if he hadn't had a good grip around her waist.

"I'm so happy for you!" she squealed.

With his his hands still in place, he smiled sweetly at her. "I can say the same to you."

"I know. Really, I couldn't ask for anything more." she said in disbelief.

Freddie thought of what she said for a moment. He too, couldn't ask for anything more with the way things were going in his life. But he couldn't help wondering how happier he could be if he finally gets the one thing he's been longing for since he was a kid.

Carly's face turned serious when their eyes locked. She wanted to know what he was thinking that very moment for he seemed so lost in his thoughts.

"Carly..." he finally breathed. "I--"

"Cupcake! There you are." Sam suddenly arrived, causing Freddie to release Carly as she turned around to face her best friend. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Hey. What's up?" Carly asked.

"Your dad's on the phone." Sam replied.

"Oh." Carly turned to Freddie who only nodded at her. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure." he replied.

Carly then went to the office to talk to her dad who probably wanted to congratulate her, leaving Sam and Freddie alone.

"I interrupted something, didn't I?" Sam asked when she noticed the look on his face. That was one of the few times she felt she should apologize to Freddie.

"No." he lied. "We were just talking about something... not important."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please Benson. You think I'm buying that? I know you were about to tell her that you're still in looove with her. And don't you deny it cause I know." she finished with a grin.

"Sam!"

"What?" she shrugged. "It's not my fault you're a weakling."

"I am not a weakling!" he almost yelled at her.

"Then why don't you tell Carly?"

"Because--"

"Tell me what?" Carly smiled innocently at both of them.

Apparently, Freddie and Sam were too busy arguing with each other that they didn't notice Carly was on her way towards them. Freddie turned to Sam, clearly asking for help with his eyes. Sam considered leaving Freddie by his own for a moment but she thought of a better idea.

"Tell me what, guys?" Carly asked again.

"That Freddie's gonna take us out to dinner for one whole week to celebrate. He's gonna pay for everything because he wants to show us how happy he is for us. He was supposed to surprise you." Sam replied quickly, smiling to herself knowing how Freddie would be so pissed at her.

"Oh." Carly muttered before she turned to him. "Thank you."

Freddie was surprised when Carly gave him another hug. As he closed his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder, he saw Sam grinning at him. He shot her a deathly glare which earned him an eye roll in return. When Carly finally pulled apart, he changed his expression into the sweetest smile he could.

"I thought you don't want Sam to come with us to this seafood restaurant you were talking about? That's really sweet of you." she smiled.

"How about we ditch Sam and we go alone. Just the two of us." he whispered, half-joking.

"I heard that!" Sam cried out which made Carly and Freddie giggle.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry if the change in POVs confuses you. I just figured using 3rd person POV would be more appropriate than alternate 1st POVs for long stories like this. Again, I'm really sorry.**

**Anyway, thanks for STILL reading and reviewing! ^_^**


	25. Chapter 25

"What are you still doing here?" Sam asked, giving Freddie a strange look after he had given her and Carly a ride to the shop.

"I can't stand being alone at home." he replied smugly as he toyed with the display flower on top of the counter. "Besides, I'm used to Carly following me around all day and being a big pain in my neck." he smirked as he remembered the happy times he and Carly shared before they had decided to take life seriously. She was always there wherever he went and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I heard that!" Carly snapped at him from the storage room. "And what are you complaining about? The shop's just been opened for three days!"

"Yeah. And for three days, you've been here bugging us!" Sam cried as she swatted his hand away from the flowers. "And stop touching that!"

He rolled his eyes. "At least I'm well-behaved. It's like I'm not even here!"

Carly skipped towards him and raised her eyebrow. "Well-behaved?"

"Yes!" he replied sincerely. "Please, let me stay."

"Only employees and customers are allowed to stay here. Last time I checked, you're not an employee and you never bought anything. You just stand there all day, driving away all those cute guys who want to go out with Carly." Sam stated annoyingly.

"That is not true!" he exclaimed at Sam.

"So that means I can entertain those cute guys next time and you're not going to stop me?" Carly suddenly asked playfully as she crossed her arms against her chest.

Honestly, she really didn't care about any of them. Even Sam experienced something like it but one deathly look from her always scared them away. Carly was aware that most of them were going inside their shop to get something for their girls but ended up asking her out instead. But she wasn't complaining because whenever that happens, Freddie would hold her hand or put his arm around her shoulder protectively.

Freddie knew from the start that keeping Carly away from guys was a tough job. He thought it would be easier if he'd just wear a shirt saying 'Back off. Carly's mine!' but Carly's reactions always fascinated him. She would smile and thank him and she never told him to take a step or two away from her ever again.

"No!" he retorted angrily, causing everyone to look at him including Gibby and Wendy who were busy interacting with the customers.

"That's it! No yelling inside the store!" Sam cried, stepping away from the counter and standing behind Freddie. She started to push him towards the door as Carly shook her head. Freddie, no matter how displeased he was, let Sam have her way. He knew he could take her anytime but still, he considered Sam as a girl no matter how unladylike she may act sometimes.

"Carly!" he whined instead, understanding that Carly reprimanding Sam was his last hope. She was the only person who could get inside Sam's head.

"Sam..." Carly called out to no avail. She could see Freddie's unfathomable look through the glass doors as Sam made her way back to her working station. "Do you really need to push him out?" she asked in disbelief, raising her eyebrows and placing both her hands on her hips.

Sam just shrugged and pretended to continue her work, not noticing that Freddie already made his way back inside.

"You're crazy!" he yelled at her.

Sam looked up to him coolly. "Still not an employee, still not a customer. Out!"

"Fine!" he roared.

"Wait!" Carly called out when she realized he was going to leave. "Please don't go." she requested sweetly, knowing Freddie could never resist her pleas.

He smiled at her. "I'm not going. She wants a customer, she'll get one!"

"Ugh!" Sam groaned. "So what do you want, yada yada yada?" Sam asked him impatiently.

"Sam!" Carly smirked. "What's rule number one?"

She sighed before reciting the first rule Carly told her before they even started the business. "Always treat the customers nicely."

"Just give me something... anything. I don't mind." Freddie stated.

"Sorry, we're out of that."

"Sam!" Carly snapped again.

"Okay, okay!" she finally surrendered before making her way towards Wendy. As she passed by Freddie, she stuck her tongue out and bumped him hard on the shoulder. Sam hated it whenever Carly would scold her because of Freddie. Even she was aware that Freddie could take her anytime but he was too smart to always use Carly because he knew she was the only person Sam would listen to.

"Can you believe her?" Freddie asked Carly as soon as Sam was out of sight.

"Yes." she answered instantly causing Freddie to chuckle.

Sam returned after giving her instructions to Wendy about Freddie's order. She told her to feel free about doing whatever she wanted with the flowers and she couldn't care less. Sam knew that Wendy was an excellent florist. She and Carly had witnessed her work and they thought hiring her was one of the best decisions they ever made.

"Where is it?" Freddie asked her.

"What? You think flower arrangements grow on trees?" Sam retorted as she rolled her eyes at him.

Freddie ignored her and just continued watching Carly as she made sure some of the flowers were still in perfect condition. She looked like an ordinary girl admiring the flowers as she inhaled their scents beautifully, closing her eyes and giggling as the tips touched her nose. But to Freddie, she wasn't just an ordinary girl. She was beyond amazing.

"She really is something, isn't she?" Freddie heard Sam whisper suddenly.

He could only nod as they both watched their long time best friend who clearly had no idea that she was being admired all the while.

"If I were you, I'd tell her right away." Sam stated seriously and for the first time after a long time, Freddie broke his stare from Carly to face his other best friend.

"What do you mean?"

"Really? Are you blind? She's not gonna be available all her life, Freddie. Let's face it. Carly's the most perfect girl we've ever seen. Okay, maybe not that perfect because we know she can really get crazy when being put under pressure." Freddie smiled as a picture of Carly smashing a fake space shuttle's window flashed through his mind. "Sooner or later, someone would sweep her off her feet and take her away from you until all you can do is sit on a corner of your room while rocking back and forth and telling yourself over and over that it should have been you."

Freddie's expression changed instantly. He knew she was right and yet, he pretended that Sam's words didn't get him. "Who are you and what did you do to Sam Puckett?"

Sam was about to grab a fist full of Freddie's hair when Wendy interrupted them with the bouquet in her hand. It was a mixture of pink and lavender roses, lilies, carnations, and daisy poms, accentuated with pink and white baby's breath. It was perfect.

"Here you go." She handed it to Freddie, who couldn't help admiring what Wendy had done.

Sam, on the other hand, had a satisfied look on her face. She could have told Wendy to give him the most terrible arrangement she could make but since she knew what he would do to them, she made sure he'd get the best. After all, Sam knew how much Carly adored flowers.

Freddie was so excited that he started to walk towards Carly immediately. When he realized he still hadn't thanked Wendy, he turned around, yanked a stem of pink rose, and tossed it to her. Wendy caught it and winked at him in return. Freddie took out another stem, lavender this time, and tossed it to Sam unexpectedly who caught it like a ninja. It was his way of thanking her for what she said earlier. Sam smiled at him and gave him a playful salute.

He then focused his eyes on Carly who had her back to him all this time. He took a deep breath before he closed the distance between them.

Carly literally jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around and saw Freddie holding flowers, she smiled at him. To her, Freddie looked like a five-year old boy standing in front of his first crush with his eyes all smiling and sparkling. She thought it was cute and adorable.

"Are you just gonna stand there? Or are you gonna give me the flowers?" she teased.

Freddie rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand as he bashfully handed the bouquet to her. "For you."

She smiled her sweetest smile as she took it from him, letting her fingers brush against his for a brief moment. "Thank you." She let the scent flood her nostrils before looking up to him. "I'll put them in the office. I'll be right back."

"Sure." he replied as he watched her leave.

"Hey Benson!" Sam yelled at him again when she noticed Carly had gone.

Freddie went back to her. "What? You can't make me leave if that's what you're thinking. I bought something and that means I'm a customer now. You have to treat me nicely or else I'll call your manager and have you fired from your job immediately." he blabbed.

"Excuse me? In case you've forgotten, I own this place!" she screamed again.

Freddie narrowed his eyes at her. "So what are you saying?"

"Pay up unless you want bad things to happen." Sam threatened him.

"Oh. Right." Freddie took out his wallet without any hesitation. He was definitely in a good mood to start bickering with Sam once more. "How much?"

"Hundred bucks." Sam stated.

"What the?" Freddie cried. "Hundred? Don't you have some discount for friends? Best friends? Come on, Sam! There's no way that costs a hundred bucks!"

Wendy overheard what Sam and Freddie were arguing about and being the honest girl that she was, she decided to join in their conversation.

"It's $29.95, Freddie."

Upon hearing that, Freddie dropped a fifty on the counter before crossing his arms stiffly against his chest and raising his eyebrows at Sam, who didn't notice his reaction because she was busy shooting daggers at Wendy that moment. Freddie thought she looked way too scary.

"You are so fired!" Sam yelled at her.

"Sam! What are you doing?" Carly came back just in time to scold her best friend.

"Nothing!" Sam said defensively before turning to Wendy. "Okay, Wendy. You're unfired."

Wendy could only giggle as she returned to work.

"What did I say about firing employees?"

Sam sighed. "Firing employees is bad and..."

Before Sam could finish, Spencer barged in through the door and everybody inside switched their attention from Sam to him. Spencer was pushing baby Nattie's stroller with a large baby bag strapped around his shoulder. Carly was delighted to see her niece again and judging by the looks on their faces, Sam and Freddie were ecstatic about the little one's visit too.

"Carly! Carly, I need your help." Spencer said as he gasped for air.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Carly asked.

"Can you babysit Natasha for me today. Please? The art convention's today and I promised Socko I'd be there. Sasha's supposed to take care of baby Nattie but she's taking her dad to the hospital. Listen, I know you're busy with the shop and everything but I really need you to do this for me..." he explained quickly, looking at his watch once in a while.

"Spencer, you know I'd do it anytime." Carly replied calmly. "You don't have to ask."

Spencer's face lit up. "Great! I knew I can count on you!" He removed the over-sized bag from his shoulder and shoved it to Freddie who was standing beside him.

"Dude!" he complained. "What's in here? Baby Nattie's crib?"

"No." Spencer replied seriously. "It wouldn't fit. Silly Freddo. Anyway, I gotta go. Thanks Carls. I'll pick her up tonight! Bye!" And with that, he ran towards his car outside and vanished.

Carly unstrapped her niece from the stroller and picked her up, causing the baby to giggle. Sam was making goofy faces beside Carly while Freddie was just watching the three girls in front of him. He thought Carly and baby Nattie looked adorable especially with their obvious resemblance. And maybe he thought Sam was adorable too if she wasn't being mean to him.

"Hey baby..." Carly baby-talked cutely which made the baby smile. "Do you wanna go somewhere?"

"You know Carls, that's a great idea! Why don't you go and take baby Nattie out? You should take Freddie with you!" Sam suggested.

Carly looked at Freddie who was smiling at that moment before turning back to Sam. She liked Sam's idea but she was having second thoughts. "I don't know Sam. I can't just leave you here."

"Go on." Sam replied. "I can manage the shop. Besides, Wendy's here. I just unfired the chick, remember?" Sam chuckled which made Carly roll her eyes.

"Will you go with me Freddie?" Carly turned to him and asked sweetly.

"Of course." Freddie responded coolly. He tried to sound so calm and easy when in fact, he was so excited about taking Carly and the baby out. He thought it was the perfect opportunity to show Carly that he was a family man and maybe, just maybe, she'd think that he's also a husband material.

"Great! So I guess, we'll just see you at home Sammy." Carly said happily as she started to walk outside with the baby in her arms. "Come on, Freddie!"

Freddie giggled but before he followed Carly, he whispered to Sam. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"Uh, no you don't."

"Wha- really? You just suggested that to Carly for no reason? You do realize that you just got me a date with Carly Shay, right? I'm actually touched, Puckett." he teased.

"Well... You're not getting your change for the bouquet so I figured I might do something nice for 'ya." she smirked.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed when he realized he was duped. "You are so-"

"Freddie! Are you coming or not?" Carly yelled from the outside before he could even say something nasty to Sam.

"Your wife's looking for you! Hurry along, Benson. You can't keep her waiting for your date unless you want to sleep on the couch tonight." She grinned at him again.

Freddie narrowed his eyes at her but he broke his stare when Carly called him again for the nth time. He was fully aware that the girl never had that much patience. He suddenly wondered if she'd stay like that when they get married someday. All he knew was that even though Carly Shay was impatient, stubborn, hard-headed, crazy, and obnoxious sometimes, one thing's for sure. He'd never ever get tired of her.

"Fredward!" she yelled again and Sam snickered behind him.

* * *

It was a long day for Carly, Freddie, and baby Nattie. They brought her to the park and let her crawl on the blanket Freddie laid out for them. They watched her play with the toys Spencer put inside the bag, and Carly was so impressed that Freddie was the one who made her milk. He said his mom taught him a lot of things and she didn't have a hard time believing that.

People who passed by them would say they were such a lovely young couple blessed with a lovely child. Though uncomfortable at first, Carly and Freddie never dismissed their assumptions. Instead, they'd just smile and thank them. They thought they should probably get used to those kind of statements because even before when they were still making iCarly, lots of their fans would e-mail them and tell them that they looked really good together. Freddie would blush every time and after some time, Carly started turning pink too.

After the sun had set, they've decided to go back to Bushwell and rest. Sam was still out, probably hanging out with Wendy and Gibby after closing the shop. Carly was inside the kitchen, washing the dishes while Freddie was playing with Natasha in the living room.

"Hey Nattie..." he started talking to her even though she was busy playing with her toys as she sat on his lap. "Do you know I'm your Uncle Freddie? Well, not technically because I'm not related to you yet or anything. But someday, for sure." He smiled before he continued whispering. "Do you see that pretty girl inside the kitchen, washing the dishes? Yup! She's beautiful isn't she? Well, someday, I'm going to marry that woman."

As if she understood what he was saying, Nattie looked at him and giggled.

"You like that, huh?" Freddie said with amusement. "Well, don't worry. Uncle Freddie's going to make Aunt Carly very happy someday."

Little did he know that Carly was already done with the dishes and she was already leaning against the counter, watching two of the most precious people in the world to her have fun. "What are you telling her?" she teased as she crossed her arms against her chest.

"Hey!" he chuckled nervously. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear about Uncle Freddie making Aunt Carly very happy someday." she giggled before walking towards them. "Hey, I'm just gonna go buy some supplies. Sam would freak out if she finds out there's no ham left inside the fridge. Will you be okay here?"

"Yeah. I got it all under control."

Carly smiled before she grabbed her purse and bid the two of them goodbye by kissing baby Nattie on her cheek and ruffling Freddie's hair.

"Hey, what about me?" Freddie complained when he realized he wasn't getting any Carly-kissing.

"If you're lucky, you'll get yours tonight!" she chuckled. "See you later!"

Freddie smiled as he watched Carly leave. He knew what he had to do and that was to make sure he was still wide awake when she returns. It would be a great challenge considering he was so tired from all their baby activities and from the looks of it, baby Nattie was ready to close her little eyes too.

After about an hour, Carly returned from the grocery store only to find out that Freddie had fallen asleep on the couch and the baby was on top of him, sleeping against his chest like an angel too. His arm was on her back, making sure she wouldn't fall off.

Carly smiled and shook her head before going into the kitchen to stuff the ham inside the chiller.

She was heading back to the living room when she heard someone knock on the door. When she opened it, she saw her brother standing outside.

"Hey." he greeted.

"Shhh." she smiled and let him come inside. "They're sleeping."

"Oh. Well, it looks like Nattie drained Freddie's energy." he chuckled. "Well, I better take her home. Her mom misses her already."

"She's a sweetheart. I had fun today." Carly smiled at her big brother before she lifted Nattie from Freddie's chest, making sure she and Freddie wouldn't stir in their sleep. She carefully placed her in her stroller before putting the toys inside the baby bag.

"Thanks, Carly. I really appreciate it. Say thank you to Freddie for me too, would you?" he whispered.

"Sure, Spence! I'll see you soon."

After walking her brother and her niece to the elevator, Carly immediately grabbed a blanket from Sam's room and spread it over Freddie. She sat on the little space by his feet and stared at him for a while, loving how peaceful he looked as he sleeps. Without realizing she was doing it, she stroked his cheek with her finger.

"Too bad you're not awake for your kiss." she giggled before she leaned towards him to give him a little kiss on his cheek. "Sleep tight, Freddie."

* * *

**A/N:**

**First of all, I'm so sorry if there are any typos and grammatical errors in this chapter. I'll go over them again some time today or tomorrow. I just had to post it up because I know you guys have waited long enough to read the next installment. Sorry for not updating soon. I've been very busy and it's making me crazy! :-(**

**I love writing this story as much as I love reading your reviews so I'll try my best to update as soon as I can. **

**Thank you so much for loving this story! If I could give each and everyone of you a hug, I'd do it! :)**

**-purpleheart10**

**PS: Thanks to iCarlyFanFreek825 for suggesting Natasha's nickname! It rocks! :D**

**And sorry if the story's boring some of you! I know there are hardly significant events in this chapter and the previous ones. I just want to show the development of Carly and Freddie's romantic(?) relationship. But don't worry. Another complication (next to Brad) is on his/her way! He/She comes out in the next chapter. :D  
**


	26. Chapter 26

Exactly one week after the shop's been opened, Freddie started working for a huge corporation as a Computer and Information Systems Manager. His starting salary was enough for him to actually settle down and start a family of his own. Mr. Greene, his boss, also told him that it could still increase depending on his performance.

There was only one thing he didn't love about his job. And that was not being able to spend time with Carly and even Sam too. He was actually worried that some lucky jerk might find his way inside the shop and sweep Carly off her feet just like what Sam had said. If that would happen, and he really wished it wouldn't, all his hard work for keeping her safe would just go to waste.

That was why he volunteered to give them a ride every morning before he'd go to work and in the evening, he'd wait for them to close the shop so they could all go home together.

"Hello. Good morning. This is..."

"Wendy! Hi. Freddie here. May I please speak to..."

"Carly?" Wendy giggled. "Sure thing. Wait, I'll go get her."

Freddie mumbled a thanks even though he knew the phone had been put down already. He was just glad that it wasn't Sam who answered the phone because she would just yell at him again and tell him that Carly's very busy at the moment.

"Hello?" She greeted.

As if hearing it for the first time, Freddie sat up straight the moment he heard her sweet voice from the other end of the line. He couldn't quite understand the effect Carly had on him. It was like he must always be at his best whenever she was around. And he liked it. She was bringing out the best in him.

"Hey Carls." he greeted her back with a smile etched upon his face.

"Let me guess..." she paused, "You're bored in your office again."

"No!" he answered immediately and he could imagine Carly raising her eyebrows at him. "Well... Yes, I'm bored."

"I knew it. Don't you have something to do in there? You know, writing those... those things I'll never ever understand." she laughed heartily, "What do you call them again? Codes?"

He chuckled at how innocent she sounded about his passion. She didn't know about any of those computer stuff and yet, she would always listen to everything he says about them. Her eyebrows would furrow in confusion as he talks and many times, he'd fight the temptation to kiss her when she looked so cute and adorable and innocent at the same time.

"Yep. But anyway, it's almost my lunchtime actually and I was wondering if maybe we could go out and eat lunch together? The food in the office cafeteria sucks."

Like that was the real reason.

"Oh." she took a deep breath and suddenly, he had a bad feeling about what she was going to say next. "Listen... I can't leave the shop today. I'd really love to go out and have lunch with you but there are a lot of things needed to be done here. The delivery just arrived and we're currently rushing orders. I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you."

Freddie's shoulders dropped instantly as he sighed. "You also said that yesterday. And the day before that."

"I know, I know. Are you mad at me?" she asked worriedly.

"No."

"You're mad at me." she stated and Freddie knew she was pouting.

"I'm not mad." he chuckled, making sure she would detect the smile in his voice. "Tell you what. How about I go out, grab us some lunch and coffee, and I'll bring it there so we could still eat together. That way I can help you guys with the orders if there's still plenty of time left. Sounds good?"

"That's a great idea!" she replied giddily. "I'm actually feeling a little bit hungry."

"A little bit?"

"Okay. A lot!" she finally admitted.

"So I better go then before your tummy starts to grumble." he teased.

"Ha ha! That's very funny, Freddie! Anyway, Sam wants me to tell you she wants turkey sandwich and some hot chocolate. She kinda overheard you and me talking about the lunch thing. You know her. She's a ninja." she laughed.

"Tell her no." he replied fiercely.

He heard her laugh again before transmitting his message to Sam. He couldn't make up what Sam had replied but he was sure he'd never hear the end of it the moment he stepped his foot inside the shop.

"Freddie..." Carly called seriously. "Sam said she's going to kill you."

"Whatever!" he rolled his eyes and leaned back against his seat. As much as he wanted to freeze time and talk to her forever, he also wanted the clock's hands to move faster so he could be with her again. "I gotta go, kisses. See you later!"

"Can't wait." she simply replied before they both hung up.

Turning off his laptop and grabbing his coat in less than a minute, Freddie hurriedly went out towards the main entrance of his office building. He passed by some of his office mates who were shaking their heads because of the look of excitement on his face and his unbelievable speed.

He drove towards Carly's favorite fast food restaurant and he couldn't help looking at his watch as he waited in line.

Soon, his hands were full with three cups of hot drink and bags of sandwiches for Carly and Sam. As he was turning around to leave the place, he bumped into someone talking on her cellphone, causing one of the drinks to spill on his light blue polo shirt.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed as he took a step backwards to prevent more spilling.

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking. Are you okay?" the girl apologized sincerely.

Freddie settled everything he was holding on the nearest table beside him before he took his handkerchief from his pocket, not even bothering to look at the lady responsible for the accident. He started wiping the chocolate off of his polo shirt. Good thing his mother taught him different techniques about stain removal.

"I'm fine. It's nothing." Freddie replied calmly.

"I'm really, really, really so- Wait a minute! I know you! You're Freddie, right? From iCarly?" the lady excitedly exclaimed as if she just bumped into Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise.

Freddie was used to being recognized in public by some people who used to watch iCarly. He was somehow overwhelmed that they still knew him even though he rarely showed his face in front of the camera. He thought their twitter account, where they upload pictures, helped a lot and so did their website which was still being maintained regularly up to that day.

"Yeah. That's me." he answered.

Freddie finally looked up and that was when he realized that the girl he just bumped into wasn't just an ordinary fan.

"Oh. My. God." he exclaimed. He was still in shock because of all places, he'd run into her inside Carly's favorite fast food restaurant in Seattle. "Shelby? Shelby Marx?"

"Hey! You remembered!" the martial arts champion replied enthusiastically as she clapped her hands. "Wow. You really changed a lot since I last saw you."

Freddie smiled. He thought she didn't look so bad either. She still had her curves, only much more defined now. Her hair was definitely longer and she wasn't wearing too much make-up on which he appreciated a lot because he preferred natural beauty. Like Carly.

"You've changed a lot too." he smiled at her.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about ruining your shirt and spilling your coffee. I'll be very happy to buy you another one." she offered kindly, hoping that he'd let her do it.

He hesitated for a moment. "Uh, thanks. That's really kind of you but I really need to get these to Carly and Sam." he gestured to the food on the table before turning his attention back at her. "They're waiting for me and you know Sam. She'll kill me if she gets really hungry."

Shelby looked down and laughed. "Of course."

"I better go."

"Oh, okay. But when you realize you want your coffee, just give me a call." she smiled sweetly and he thought it was contagious, dangerous.

"But I don't have your number." he frowned.

Shelby closed the distance between them and grabbed the pen Freddie always kept inside his shirt's pocket. She then grabbed his hand and wrote her number on his palm, not taking her eyes off of him all the while. "There you go."

He could only stare at the numbers before he yanked his hand back slowly.

"Thanks. I'll just... I'll just ring you." he said shyly, grabbing one by one the items on the table.

"I'll be waiting." she replied and he gave her one last smile. "Be sure to say hi to Carly and Sam for me, okay?"

"Sure. So see you around, Shelby. It was nice seeing you again."

"You too, Freddie."

* * *

"Ugh!" Sam groaned, putting down the clipper she was using to cut off the stems of the roses that had just been delivered. "I'm so hungry! What's taking him so long? He's so gonna be dead when he gets here! And just so you know Carly, you can't stop me this time."

"Relax, Sammy. I'm sure he's on his way." Carly chuckled as she continued her work beside her best friend.

"Will you still be able to relax when you find out that Freddie took this long because he got stuck flirting with a waitress again? Or maybe some pretty girl he just bumped into?" Sam asked curiously.

Carly stopped whatever she was doing to face Sam. The look she had on her face was indescribable. It was a mixture of fear and annoyance. Sam could tell she was thinking deep too. She suddenly regretted asking the question because even though Carly hadn't told her anything, Sam knew her best friend was confused about her feelings for the nub. It was obvious for some reason and she didn't know why she was the only one who noticed.

"I'm sure he was just caught in a traffic or something." Carly replied instead.

"Just as I thought." Sam whispered almost just to herself.

Carly just shrugged the thought out of her mind as she focused on her work. She was busy removing the thorns of the roses when she was pulled down harshly by Sam, causing the two of them to stumble on the floor. She was so ready to yell at her and put some senses into her when Sam covered her mouth with her hand.

"Shhh!" Sam hissed as Carly struggled to free herself. "Cupcake, be quiet! I'll let you go if you promise not to speak."

Carly stopped fighting and as soon as Sam felt her relax, she released her hand only to be bitten first by Carly.

"Aww!" Sam cried as quietly as possible as she shook her hand repeatedly.

"Why did you- Mfff! Mfff!"

"Keep quiet!" Sam's hand was on her mouth again. "Listen, I saw Pete. Okay? He's on his way inside the shop! What do I do?"

Sam finally took her hand back and Carly was allowed to speak again. "Pete? Your ex-boyfriend?"

"Do I know any other Pete?" Sam asked sarcastically, causing Carly to roll her eyes.

As the best friends continued their banter while sitting on the floor, they heard the sound of the opening of the door, causing them both to shut up and look at each other. Sam's heart was beating very fast that moment and she wouldn't be surprised if Carly could hear its loud thumping.

Pete was one of the guys Sam really, really liked when they were still in high school. He was two grades ahead of them and their relationship never really had a closure since Pete had decided to study in New York for college.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

With Gibby and Wendy out for their lunch break, Carly and Sam were the only people left inside the store.

"What's your plan?" Carly whispered, making sure Pete wouldn't hear her from behind the counter.

"Stay down until he leaves." Sam answered simply but her voice was shaking.

A devilish smile appeared on Carly's face as she looked at her and even though Sam tried her best to stop her from doing anything stupid, she was too late. Carly had managed to stand up from the floor to face Pete. Sam wanted to stand up too so she could strangle her best friend but she didn't want to do it in front of Pete. He'd be a witness. Or maybe she just didn't want him to see her after all these years.

"Hey!" Carly greeted him.

"Oh. Hi Carly. I thought there's no one here." he smiled back at her, making Carly understand why her best friend wanted to change her image for him.

His hair was a little bit messy but he still looked good. He had gotten taller over the past few years and his smile was still enough to make girls around him squeal. His blue eyes mirrored Sam's and Carly thought he was perfect for her best friend.

"I was just looking for my earring on the floor." she reasoned nervously.

Pete examined her carefully. "Did you find it? I think the other one's missing too."

"Oh." she completely forgot she wasn't wearing earrings. "I'll just look for them later. Anyway, what brings you here?"

Pete rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he answered. "Well, my little sister came here the other day to buy our mom some roses. She was a big fan of iCarly back then and she recognized you guys. She said you and Sam owned this place so I thought I'd drop by to... you know," he paused to laugh softly, "see Sam?"

"So you wanna see Sam?" Carly asked loudly.

"Yeah. Is she here? 'Cause I thought I saw her when I got out of the car." Pete replied.

"She's here." Carly grinned. "She lost her earrings too."

As Pete was getting confused every minute, Sam stood up and gave Carly a deathly glare before turning to Pete. "Found it!" she cried out, holding her ears for emphasis before turning to Pete and pretending she wasn't expecting him there. "Oh, hey Pete."

"Hey." he smiled shyly at her.

Carly waited and watched but none of them spoke to each other ever again. Sam and Pete were avoiding each other's eyes and Carly knew that they were just waiting for the other to say something. Being the impatient girl that she was, she groaned. She decided to do something about it.

"So, Pete!" Carly called out. "Are you doing something tonight?"

Pete turned to Carly and so did Sam. They both wondered why she asked but he answered her anyway. "No. Why?"

"That's good. Sam's not doing anything either. Would you like to go out with her? You know, just to catch up or something?"

"What?" Sam cried out of shock but Carly ignored her completely.

"So how about you pick her up at 7?"

Pete looked at Sam before turning back to Carly. "Okay? If it's okay with her."

"Great!" Carly clapped her hands. "So it's settled then. She'll see you tonight."

* * *

"Since when did you become my voice?" Sam asked Carly as soon as Pete left the shop. Wendy and Gibby were back and they both returned to work immediately.

"Since you moved in to my apartment and ate all my food!" Carly answered.

"I can't believe I have a date tonight!" Sam cried.

Carly could only giggle as she watched her best friend act like she wasn't excited. She knew Sam would eventually thank her later.

"Wait! Wait! Who's got a date tonight?"

The girls looked up and stopped whatever it was they were doing as they saw Freddie walking in with his hands full of cups and paper bags. Sam's eyes lit up automatically upon seeing the amount of food he had brought while Carly skipped towards him to help him carry them.

"Hey!" she greeted him as they walked together towards Sam.

"You haven't answered my question! Who's got a date?" he demanded as he put down everything on top of the counter.

Sam completely ignored him as she grabbed a paper bag and took out her turkey sandwich to start munching on it. She completely forgot about the date and Freddie being late upon seeing her meal.

"Sam's got a date tonight." Carly answered him.

He sighed in relief. "Oh. I thought it was you. Anyway, really? Sam has a date tonight?"

Sam glared at him, her mouth full. "Waff?"

"Sam. Please swallow everything first." Carly requested sweetly. When she turned to look at him again, she noticed the stain on his shirt. "What happened to your shirt?"

"One of the coffees spilled." He answered simply as he took out his handkerchief from his pocket again and desperately tried to remove the stain from his shirt as if it was an evidence or something. "It's nothing."

Carly shook her head as she left her working station to stand in front of him. "Here. I got it." She reached for the cloth he was holding and as she grabbed it from him, she saw the numbers printed on his palm. Below was a capital letter S followed by a heart. He tried to snatch his hand back but it was too late.

Her heart sank as she looked at him with a questioning look on her face. He, on the other hand, just stared at her apologetically. He knew he owed her an explanation but he didn't know where to start. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal because it was just Shelby and she happened to be friends with Carly and Sam after the chaos Nevel caused. But Freddie couldn't stand the look on her face. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was hurt and her eyes were showing it.

"Carly..." he breathed.

She just smiled faintly, avoiding his gaze as she gave him his handkerchief back. She turned her back on him and went back behind the counter to continue clipping the thorns off of the roses. She didn't even attempt to touch the food he brought no matter how hungry she was.

He took a deep breath as he walked towards her. "It was Shelby. I bumped into her on my way out of the restaurant that's why the coffee spilled. She said she was sorry and she wanted to buy me another one. I told her you were waiting for me so she wrote her number instead in case I want her to pay me back for the drink." he explained even though she didn't ask for it.

Carly didn't respond so he tried again. "Are you mad at me?"

"Ouch!" she suddenly jumped because of the pain from the thorn which pricked her index finger. When she examined it, she saw blood dripping from the cut.

"What happened?" Freddie asked worriedly as he ran beside her. "Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing. Just a cut." she replied weakly, turning away from him to face Sam instead who just dropped her second turkey sandwich to make sure she was okay.

"I'll get the ointment and the bandage inside the office." Sam offered immediately.

Taking his chances, Freddie walked towards where Sam stood earlier so he could face Carly. She was still looking at her finger, squeezing it to let the blood flow freely out of the wound. Without any hesitation, Freddie grabbed her hand gently and examined it. Carly winced not because of the pain but because of the sudden contact when Freddie touched her. He grabbed a clean tissue from the box and wiped off the blood, revealing the deep cut.

Sam came back a few seconds later carrying a small rectangular box in her hand. "Here, Fredward. I think everything you need is in here." She handed it to him before grabbing what was left of her lunch. She went back inside the office and let the two have their moment.

Freddie nursed Carly's wound slowly, applying what he learned from his overprotective mom. After he had wrapped her finger with a bandage, he looked deeply into her eyes and hoped that she'd see he was telling the truth.

"Thank you." Carly finally managed to say. "And I'm sorry about the way I acted. I don't know why-"

"Carly." he cut her off. "It's okay."

She smiled at him.

"So how about our lunch? My stomach's making these weird noises." he chuckled softly.

"I can hear it." she teased. "But maybe that's my own tummy."

They both turned around to grab their food. It was too late when they realized that all of the food were already gone and there was nothing left on top of the counter.

"Saaaaaaaaammm!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**There you go! Shelby Marx ladies and gentlemen. ^_^**

**Please don't kill me. LOL  
**


	27. Chapter 27

"Are you sure you're really okay with it, cupcake?" Sam asked Carly for the hundredth time as she grabbed her coat.

Pete was standing next to Sam with both his hands inside his pockets, watching her with those gorgeous blue eyes and a smile upon his face which Carly thought was dorky but adorable at the same time. Carly had never been this happy for her best friend especially since Sam and Pete had this undeniable chemistry. To top it all, she loved how he would never even dare to change her best friend into someone else.

"Yes, yes. You can go on your date tonight." She teased, emphasizing the word 'date' which earned her an eye-roll from Sam. "I'll have Wendy and Gibby with me to close the shop."

"Fine. I'll see you at home." Sam finally said, hugging her goodbye before heading out with Pete.

Carly shook her head in disbelief as she watched Sam put her hand over Pete's shoulder. It was when Pete removed her arm only to hold hands with her that Carly giggled as she watched them go towards his parked Mercedes.

Thirty more minutes and then Freddie would arrive from work to pick her up. She sighed dreamily as she thought of him. As far as she knew, he never did call Shelby Marx and he never intended to. It had been two weeks since they bumped into each other and if Freddie was ever interested, he should have called her by now. She doubted if he even saved her digits.

She snapped out of her trance when she heard the phone ring. Thinking it was Freddie, she hurriedly went to pick it up but Gibby beat her into it. Carly just stood beside her friend and decided to listen.

"Hello… Oh hey, man! What's up? Gibby here... Oh, you wanna toCarly?" Carly smiled to herself and asked for the phone but Gibby refused to hand it to her. "Sorry. Carly's not here… Yeah, she went on a date… I don't know who he is! I swear!"

Gibby loved how Freddie was becoming furious over the phone but before he could do any damage, Carly snatched the phone from him forcefully. Gibby could only laugh before he left Carly to help Wendy with something.

"Don't listen to him!" she shrieked and Freddie moved the phone away from his ear before laughing softly.

"No need to worry. I know he's bluffing. Gibbys do it all the time." Freddie smiled when he heard her laugh. "So it's true then? No date for Carly Shay tonight?"

"Hmmm... Let's see." she paused dramatically. "I've got dinner with this guy named Rob tonight, and then a movie date with Matt who is really amazing by the way. He's in this really cool band and he plays the guitar which is great because he sings too. Oh, and I almost forgot. There's also this gorgeous son of a billionaire who invited me to a concert. I think his name's Steve if I remember it correctly. I'm not sure though because I only met him once." she giggled.

"Oh, really now? That many?" Freddie raised his eyebrow and snickered.

"Yeah, really." she answered playfully.

"So you're really busy tonight, huh? Going out with a lot of guys. 'Cause I was wondering... Maybe you could still insert one more date to your schedule if it's okay? I mean, I don't really care if it's just a five-minute date or something. As long as I get to be a part of your evening, I'd be very happy."

Carly's smile reached her ears. She felt like she was floating with how his words affected her. It's not like they were going out on a real date or something. It was just dinner and they've been doing that all the time as best friends. The phone conversation they were having was just plain playfulness between them but somehow, she could sense the sincerity in his words. She knew he meant it and he really did.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can fit you in. My schedule's pretty tight for tonight."

"That sucks." he replied simply.

"But maybe I could cancel all those dates just for one?" she whispered sweetly.

"You'll do that?"

"Uh huh." she nodded. "But just for tonight though."

"How about I take you out tomorrow night too? And the night after... And the night after the night after tomorrow... And then the night..."

"Okay, deal!" she immediately replied as she laughed before the two of them get confused with what he was saying.

"Brilliant!" he answered formally as if he was a business man who just sealed a major deal. "I'll pick you up in ten minutes."

"Actually... I was thinking maybe we could meet there so you won't have to drive back and forth. No worries. I'll have Gibby drop me off." Carly suggested.

"But men are supposed to pick the ladies up! That's how dates work!" he complained before he faked sadness. "Unless you want to date Gibby instead of me."

Carly rolled her eyes as she chuckled softly. "You're being melodramatic again, Freddie. You know there's no one in this world I'd rather spend my evening with. I'll just see you, okay?"

He sighed. "Okay. Tell Gibby to drive safely."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

She hopped in the backseat of Gibby's car after the three of them had closed the flower shop. Wendy was sitting in front and as soon as the engine started, the three of them engaged in a random conversation. As they were talking about politics, Carly looked for her phone inside her bag so she could send Freddie a text message saying she was on her way. She took out her pearphone but she started to panic when she realized she forgot something important inside the office.

"Shoot! I forgot my organizer in the shop. Can you pull the car to the side, Gibbs? I really need to bring it home tonight." she asked calmly.

Gibby looked at the rearview mirror. "We can turn around if you want. We'll wait for you."

"No, it's okay. I'll just walk. Besides, it's not that far." Carly reasoned and Gibby had no choice but to stop the car even though he was hesitant about it.

He turned to her before she opened the door to get out. "Are you sure? Freddie will kill me if he finds out about this!"

Carly laughed. "Don't worry about him. I'll be fine. I'll just take a cab to the restaurant."

"If you say so. We'll see you tomorrow then." Gibby replied.

"Bye Carls! Enjoy your date with Freddie." Wendy winked at her before she could go out.

Carly watched Gibby's car leave before she turned around to walk back towards the shop. The coldness of the air was brushing against her skin as she hugged herself tightly. She didn't exactly know why she didn't let Gibby drive back to the shop. All she knew was that she wanted to think things through about her confused feelings and there was no other way to do that besides walking under the moonlight.

As she retrieved the keys from her bag, she realized that all of her questions still remained unanswered and she'd never been so confused in her life. Although she didn't quite get what she wanted, she found herself smiling all the way as she thought of him and all the times they had spent together.

Thinking he was waiting for her, she snapped out of her trance and hurriedly went inside to grab her organizer. She was about to lock the shop for the second time when a couple went inside, hands laced together.

"Good evening." the woman greeted her while the man smiled and nodded.

"I'm sorry but we're already closed. I just came back to get something." Carly apologized kindly.

"Oh." the woman gasped as they turned to look at each other.

"Listen... I know this is a bad time but we really need your help. You see, the flower shop which was supposed to take care of the arrangements for our wedding next week canceled at the last minute. They said they've gone bankrupt and there was no way they could make it. We tried looking for replacements and we came across your website. I... We were really hoping you could help us." The man stated.

Carly sighed. She could never take down this kind of favor. It was her weakness too. As long as there's something she could do, she would gladly help.

"Alright." she smiled at them. "Just come back tomorrow so we could discuss everything."

"Actually, that's what we're here for." the woman replied and Carly frowned in confusion. "We'll be leaving for Boston tomorrow to visit my hometown before the wedding. We won't be coming back until three days before the big day."

"Oh. Well..." Carly hesitated for a moment. She really hated working overtime but the look on the couple's faces were making it hard for her to resist. For the second time that night, she sighed again. She told herself that she would try to finalize everything with them as quickly as possible so she could still make it to dinner with Freddie. She didn't want to make him wait but she had no other choice.

"We're really sorry." the woman apologized sincerely.

"It's okay." Carly smiled. "I'll show you the packages you can choose from inside the office."

* * *

Freddie sat by the table near the window as he waited for Carly to arrive. He had arrived at the restaurant five minutes before their meeting time and there he was, waiting for almost half an hour. The waitress had come back several times to ask him if he was ready to place his order but he shook his head every time.

He was starting to worry about Carly so he decided to call her. Her phone continued ringing but she wouldn't answer. He tried several times but still, he didn't hear her voice. He sent her text messages, just in case but he never got a single reply either. He tried to take the idea of Carly being hurt out of his mind because if something happened, Gibby could have called him already.

As if an idea just popped in his head, he dialed Gibby's number instead.

"Yo, Fred. What's up?" Gibby greeted him.

"Hey. Is Carly with you? I thought you're going to drop her off." he immediately asked.

"Oh. Isn't she there yet? She said she'll go back to the shop to get her organizer. She left it in. Anyway, I'm sure she's on her way there. Just be patient, man."

"Right. Thanks Gib."

Freddie ended the call and just decided to wait for Carly. He called the waitress and ordered a soda to kill his time. He would try calling her once in a while to see if she'd answer or even to check if she's still alright but he always got the same result. He was waiting for almost an hour now and he started to think that maybe she wouldn't be coming.

As he ended his hundredth call, his eyes caught a familiar girl walking inside alone. She let her eyes wander around the place and when his eyes met hers, she smiled and approached him. Freddie smiled back at her as he stood up from his seat.

"Hey!" she greeted him with her sparkling eyes that he never really noticed before.

"Hey Shelby. I never thought I'd see you here!" he replied.

"Well, I was treating myself for a good dinner after a long day of training. Are you with someone?" she asked.

Freddie thought for a minute before he answered. "No, I'm alone."

"Oh! Well... Is this seat taken?" she asked sweetly, referring to the seat across his which was supposed to be Carly's.

"Nope." he pulled the chair for her and as soon as she was seated, he returned to his seat.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stalking me." Shelby joked as she put both her elbows on the table.

Freddie chuckled. "I think it's the other way around, Miss Marx."

"Oh please!" she rolled her eyes playfully and Freddie remembered how much he adored the way Carly would roll her eyes whenever he would say something like that. "You're the one who's got a crush on me before."

Freddie laughed heartily. "Oh, yeah. I remember. I even made you a cinnamon bread."

"Seriously, you really creeped me out then." they both laughed at the sudden flashback. "But now, not anymore."

* * *

After Carly and the couple agreed on things, she bid the two goodbye before locking the shop again. She was meaning to send a text message to Freddie, saying she was on her way again but she couldn't find her pearphone. She knew she didn't take it out while inside the shop so there was no way she left it in. She suddenly remembered the last time she'd seen it.

"Great!" she cried. "I left it in Gibby's car!"

Instead of going inside all over again and use the office phone to call him, she decided not to waste any more time. She stood on the sidewalk, waiting for a cab to hail when rain suddenly started pouring. She groaned at how unlucky she was that day. Fortunately, before she got soaking wet, a cab pulled in front of her.

Carly wasn't even a single bit worried about Freddie. She knew he'd wait for her no matter how long it took her. She'd completely understand if he would order for himself right away but leaving the restaurant without her, it was impossible. She even thought of how many missed calls and unanswered text messages she would see when she got her phone back from Gibby.

After about ten minutes, she finally arrived at the place. She handed the driver some bills before hopping out of the car with a genuine smile plastered upon her face. She didn't care anymore if the rain was pouring on her. Freddie wouldn't mind. In fact, she could picture him removing his coat just to place it around her so she wouldn't be cold.

But Carly's smile was erased quickly upon seeing the picture in front of her. A boy and a girl were sitting by the window, laughing to themselves as they sipped their hot coffee. She watched them from outside where it was cold and dark, and suddenly, she felt a pang in her chest like she never felt before. It was like her world instantly fell apart... like a weight was dropped on her shoulders and it was dragging her down.

She wanted to see no more.

She turned around immediately, wrapping her arms around herself as she waited for a cab to take her way from there. She was shaking not because she was cold. She was shaking because she was hurt and she felt betrayed although her subconscious mind was telling her over and over that she wasn't in the position to be jealous. She tried telling herself that she wasn't, that she was just mad because he didn't wait for her like he should. But it was no use.

As she got inside the cab, she knew instantly that she already had her answer. Her feelings suddenly became clear as it all came to her.

This time, Freddie wasn't just bacon.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Please save your forks and torches for the next chapter! LOL  
**


	28. Chapter 28

If there was one word to describe best the day after Freddie and Carly were supposed to have dinner together, it would be awkward. When Freddie knocked on the door to check if they were ready to leave for work, Carly insisted that Sam should answer it. She kept herself busy while he talked to Sam, who had clearly no idea what happened the night before.

Just like every morning, Freddie drove the girls to the shop before going to work. He opened the passenger's door for Carly without saying anything but she refused to sit with him in front. Freddie thought complaining wouldn't help so the ride was unusually quiet except for Sam's attempt to get the two to talk to each other.

It's been two days since then and saying that he missed her was an understatement. Freddie didn't know why Carly was ignoring him when she was the one who didn't show up at the restaurant. He wasn't mad at her but he didn't want to apologize either. For him, he did nothing wrong.

He was currently debating on whether to call her or not. He had been picking up his office phone several times only to put it back down before he actually completed dialing her number. Freddie didn't want to disturb her and he thought she might be busy. After several minutes of tapping his fingers restlessly on his table, he decided to give it a try in the end. Maybe she'd like to see him too.

"You called!" she exclaimed as soon as she answered her phone.

"Yeah. I did." he smiled. "Can we meet for dinner? I'll leave the office earlier today."

"Okay. Where?" she asked.

"Same place."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

Just the same, Freddie drove towards the place with a lot in his mind. He didn't know if what he was about to do was right or if it was what he wanted. Obviously, it was too late to turn back now.

After parking the car, he saw her sitting at their usual table, talking to someone on her cellphone. She looked and sounded so upset that he approached her immediately and sat right across where she was sitting. Upon seeing him, she dropped the call and smiled at him.

"You're late." she teased.

"Thanks for coming, Shelby." he smiled back at her.

"No biggie."

"So, you sounded like you want to kick someone's butt. What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Well, tomorrow's my grandmother's birthday and she wanted me to come home because she's throwing a little party. I cleared my schedule for the weekend so I could see her but my car's not in a good condition now. I was talking to my agent earlier to try to borrow his car but he has an important appointment tomorrow. I don't know what to do. I really want to see Grammy and the folks." she told him worriedly.

Freddie thought for a minute. He had no plans for the weekend and probably, he'd never have anything since he and Carly were not in speaking terms. He didn't want to rot inside his apartment and think of her endlessly for two days. It'd just drive him crazy.

"I can drive you if you want." he offered kindly.

He watched Shelby's eyes lit up in excitement as she smiled at him. "Really? You'll come with me to Vancouver?"

"Sure. It would be great to get out of Seattle once in a while." he replied.

"That's great!" Shelby's smile got wider than usual before she frowned. "But are you sure you're really okay with it? I mean, it would be pretty tiring to drive three hours straight. I should know."

"Piece of cake." he grinned. "I used to drive with Carly from here to Stanford back when we were still studying."

His own mentioning of her name set butterflies fluttering in his stomach and a swell of sadness crashed over him. Shelby must have noticed because she pursed her lips suddenly, trying to study the change in his expression. Freddie shook the unhappy thoughts out of his mind so she would never have the chance to ask him questions.

"So it's settled then? When do we leave?" he asked instead.

"Tomorrow morning. Is that okay?" she replied.

"No biggie." he mocked what she said earlier and both of them laughed.

* * *

"Come on, Carls! It's easy." Sam insisted but she got no response from her best friend who was just sitting on her chair, pretending to do something about work. "Just dial the dork's number and ask him what's taking him so long."

"Sam... Can't you see I'm busy?" Carly asked as she pressed the buttons in her calculator.

"Busy!" she groaned. "Can't you do that at home? He was supposed to pick us up almost an hour ago for ham's sake!"

Carly removed her reading glasses and looked at Sam in disbelief. "Why can't you call him?"

"Why can't _you_ call him?" she returned the question, hoping that it would get Carly to tell her what happened.

"I already told you. I'm busy! Just call him, Sam." Carly almost pleaded. She wanted to know too what was taking him so long to pick them up but she didn't want to be the one calling him.

"You know how I hate exerting effort!" Sam complained before she stood up from the couch inside the office. "I'll just wait for him outside. You probably don't want to see what I'd do to him the moment he arrives."

Carly sighed. "Sammy... Please don't hurt him."

"Let's just see." Sam said sharply before she darted out of the room, leaving Carly alone.

After Sam had left, Carly stopped whatever she was pretending to do. Her newly-founded feelings were making it hard for her to concentrate on anything. She removed her glasses again and banged her head gently against her desk.

He was all she could ever think about. She missed him but she wasn't ready to talk to him yet especially when she couldn't get the picture of Freddie and Shelby together out of her head.

She could never bear the thought of seeing him with somebody else.

"Why oh why did I just realize it now?" she asked herself incredulously.

Sam sighed as she leaned heavily against the glass doors, waiting for Freddie. Before, when Carly would ask her not to do something bad to Freddie, she would roll her eyes but eventually promise her. She didn't know what had gotten into her to give Carly that answer. She felt bad that she wasn't allowed to hurt him but he was allowed to hurt Carly.

She hated taking sides but seeing Carly like that worried her to the bones. Sure, Carly was being her usual self in front of everyone. She even doubted if Gibby and Wendy noticed something was wrong. But Carly didn't fool Sam. After years of being best friends, Sam could clearly see right through her.

As she saw the car approaching the shop, Sam had decided to spare him. After all, she didn't know what really happened and knowing Freddie, he'd never do anything that would hurt Carly. If there was one person she could trust Carly with, it was him.

"You better have a good reason for making us wait, Frednub." Sam crossed her arms stiffly against her chest as she tapped her foot on the ground, waiting for him to come out of the car completely.

"I'm sorry." he replied sincerely but he avoided answering her question.

"I don't need your apology. I need to know what took you so long." she demanded.

He still refused to give her his answer. "Where's Carly?"

"Did you not hear me?" she snarled.

Freddie ignored her. He went inside the shop knowing fully that she was following him. The light inside Carly's office was on. He stopped abruptly and turned to Sam.

"Is Carly still working?" he asked innocently.

"No. She was waiting for you! I'm gonna ask you again, Benson." she warned him. "What took you so long?"

"Do you have to know?" he asked back.

"I do!" she snapped before hitting him with the rolled newspaper she grabbed from one of the side tables inside the shop.

"Sam!" he cried as he brought his hands up to defend himself. "Stop it!"

"Not... until... you... tell... me!" she shouted in between hitting him repeatedly.

Freddie always that thought newspapers weren't supposed to hurt but he was proven wrong. It seemed to have a different effect when Sam was the one using it against him.

"I dropped Shelby off to her apartment!" he finally shouted after he's had enough of Sam's foolishness.

She immediately stopped hitting him upon hearing his explanation. Sam was completely shocked at what he had said. Freddie wasn't planning on telling her but it was the only way to stop her from beating the crap out of him. He was afraid of how she would react, or how Carly would react if she finds out.

"You went on a date with Shelby?" Sam asked as she raised her eyebrows at him. She still couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Freddie closed his eyes and sighed. "It wasn't a date. We just had dinner and then I dropped her off."

When they both turned to Carly's office, they noticed that the light was already switched off. Sam became worried instantly because up to that moment, she wasn't sure if Carly should know where he had been.

Freddie's heart started beating furiously inside his chest as both of them saw her, standing not too far from them. The look in her eyes showed that she heard everything. Their eyes locked for a brief moment but she looked away too soon.

He was with Shelby again. She felt like crying right then and there but she tried to blink away the tears that threatened to fall. She suddenly wished she never heard him and Sam talking. She suddenly regretted the moment she stepped outside of her office to stop her from beating him with a newspaper. She'd rather not know where he'd been because he was hurting her more than anyone could ever imagine.

"Cupcake." Sam muttered, breaking the silence in the room.

Carly looked at her best friend instead and faked a smile. "Let's go home."

With that, she walked away towards the car while both Sam and Freddie stood frozen in their spot. Both of them couldn't believe how their best friend still managed to hide everything she was feeling behind a smiling face.

Freddie finally made himself move to follow her but before he could take his second step, he was pushed fiercely.

"Don't even think about it."

Sam's words were deadly but he didn't bother fighting back because she had every right considering he promised Sam before that he wouldn't let anybody hurt Carly.

* * *

Sam noticed the change in her best friend during the weekend. Carly spent her entire Saturday inside her bedroom, working on the shop's expenses and tallying their account. Of course, Sam knew she was just doing that to take her mind off of him.

She didn't care where Freddie was or what his plan was for the weekend. Sam thought he could take care of himself. But Carly needed her. And when she couldn't take it anymore, Sam made her way inside her room without even asking for Carly's permission.

She found Carly sitting on her bed, still working. Her eyes were glued to her laptop's screen and the sight made Sam shook her head in disbelief. It was Sunday evening for goodness sake and she still wasn't done. Carly didn't seem to care if she looked tired and flushed and it worried Sam more.

"Carly!" she cried as flopped herself beside her.

Carly looked at her and nodded to acknowledge her presence before turning her attention back to her laptop.

"Come on!" Sam said excitedly. "Let's go watch some movie! My treat!"

"I'm busy." was Carly's only reply.

"You can work on that tomorrow or whenever! For tonight, let's just have some fun! I'll call Gibby and Wendy and the four of us could go to the movie theater or Groovy Smoothies or even Galini's Pie Shop! Whatever floats your boat!" she started bouncing like a little girl.

Carly smiled at her. "I'll pass. Have fun with Gibby and Wendy."

Sam was so irritated that she grabbed the laptop and put it aside. Carly frowned but she didn't try to snatch it back. The look on Sam's face told her that she wouldn't let her have it anytime soon.

"Give me back my laptop." she told her.

"No, Carly!" Sam said sharply. "Not until you talk to me."

Carly groaned. "I have nothing to say!"

Sam sighed. Nothing would happen if she yelled back at her so she tried to be as understanding and calm as possible. After all, this was Carly she was talking to. The only person who could extend her patience to infinity.

"Cupcake, I know something's wrong between you and Freddie. I'm not that... stupid not to notice. You've been acting pretty weird since this whole Shelby thing started. Please, just open up to me. I'm your best friend and I hate seeing you like this." she took a deep breath. "Besides, it bothers me so much when you're taking a shower for two hours straight."

Sam's attempt at making the situation lighter made Carly smile for a while before she looked away from her.

"I think I'm in love with him, Sam." She whispered as she looked at her window. "No. I don't think. I know. I know I'm in love with him."

"I know too."

Carly looked at her best friend, confusion printed upon her face. Sam just smiled at her and she finally grasped what Sam had said.

"I was confused for a while. I didn't know what I feel for him at first. But when I saw him that night with Shelby when we were supposed to have dinner, I couldn't even describe how terrible I felt. There was jealousy, regret..." she finally explained.

"You know I'm not good at this thing but I really think you should tell him." Sam advised.

Carly looked down. "I don't know. I don't want to be selfish, Sam. He seems happy with Shelby. It could be his chance to find someone who would treat him like he is supposed to be treated. I've hurt him many times by rejecting him and dating guys he didn't approve of."

"But she's not you. She's not who he wants, who he loves." Sam reasoned.

Carly laughed bitterly. "We don't know that. They went to dinner last Friday night and then he dropped her off. Who knows? Maybe he's with her right now. Maybe they're already together. If that's the case, I think it's fair to just be happy for him."

"We don't know that either. But whatever the case is, I think he deserves to know what you feel for him."

"You think so?" Carly asked.

"I know so. But before you tell him that, you should at least start talking to each other again. The two of you are on a roll! Imagine? Almost five days without talking to each other! That's a record!"

Carly finally laughed. "Okay. I'll tell him eventually. But not right now. I don't think I'm ready to talk to him yet."

"Take your time." Sam replied.

Carly threw her arms around her best friend eagerly and crashed her into a tight embrace. Carly was thankful that she had Sam to tell everything to. She could have exploded any minute with all the things going on inside of her.

"Thanks, Sammy. I feel better now." Carly told her when they pulled apart.

"It's nothing." Sam smiled at her and she smiled back. "Just remember. You can tell me anything."

"Can I please get my laptop back?" Carly asked sweetly as she watched Sam stand up from sitting on her bed.

"Nope!" Sam grabbed it immediately. "You can have it back tomorrow. No more working for you tonight. You need to rest your eyes and have a good night sleep."

Carly laughed. "Fine. Goodnight Sammy."

"Night cupcake."

Sam exited Carly's bedroom with a plan in her mind. Carly and Freddie needed to return back to normal as soon as possible. She wasn't used to Carly and Freddie avoiding each other's gaze and treating each other as complete strangers. She even admitted to herself that she missed the way her friends unconsciously show their true feelings for each other with those sparkling eyes and flirtatious smiles that made her want to puke. She missed Freddie's pick-up lines that always made Carly smile or laugh.

Knowing how stubborn her best friends were, she thought she needed help with her plan. As soon as she was inside her own room, she picked up her phone and started dialing.

"Hey, Pete..."

Carly and Freddie might not like what she was about to do but she had no choice.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I was supposed to write about Shelby and Freddie while they were in Vancouver but this chapter's already long so I think I'll just write it as a flashback in the next chapter. ^_^  
**

**Will Carly finally be able to admit her feelings? What about Freddie and Shelby? And what was Sam planning to do to get the two to talk to each other?**

**:-D  
**


	29. Chapter 29

"Freddie!"

The road was slippery from the heavy rain pouring out on Seattle that day and even though Freddie knew his mother would most probably kill him if she finds out he was going over the speed limit, he sped up the car even more as the red light turned to green. He had a lot in his mind but the only thing that mattered to him at that moment was Carly.

His heartbeat raced when he received the phone call which displayed Carly's cellphone number. Considering how much he missed her voice, he answered the phone without second thoughts but it wasn't like what he expected. Freddie didn't hear anything more except her loud screaming of his name which was followed immediately by a dial tone. He tried calling her back but apparently, her cellphone had been switched off. As if that didn't scare him enough, Sam wasn't answering her cellphone and so were Gibby and Wendy.

The tires squeaked as he brought the car to a complete halt. He got soaking wet the moment he stepped out of the car but he was not to waste anymore time. He opened the shop's door with a loud bang only to find out that it was unlocked. The lights were switched off and the only thing he could hear was the agonizing sound of the rain against the window panes.

"Carly? Sam?" He looked around but he saw no one. "Is anybody here?"

Panic was starting to take over him when he heard a muffled sound coming from the office. The door was slightly open but he couldn't see anything. Grabbing the sword from Spencer's robot sculpture which was displayed inside the shop, he made his way slowly and quietly towards the room. He forcefully kicked the door open and his heart sank when he finally saw her.

She was bound on a chair in front of her desk with her hands tied behind her back and her mouth duct taped. She looked helpless as she tried to free herself. When Carly realized that she wasn't alone anymore, she stopped moving and locked eyes with him.

Freddie immediately ran and knelt down beside her.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked loudly after Freddie removed the duct tape.

Freddie frowned in confusion as he looked at her directly. Instead of seeing fear in her eyes, he saw rage and anger. It was as if she wanted to kill someone and he could only hope that it wasn't him.

"What?" he managed to ask. "Carly..."

"I said don't you dare touch me, Freddie! You shouldn't have come here!" she told him in a much calmer tone but there was no denying the fact that there was still anger in her voice. She then looked away, avoiding eye-contact with him.

Just as Freddie was about to go crazy from what was happening, they heard a sound coming from outside the office. Freddie grabbed the sword he dropped earlier and waited. He was going to protect Carly no matter what.

"I'll never them hurt you, kisses. Don't be afraid." he whispered to Carly as he stood in front of her.

"Whatever!" Carly replied coldly as she rolled her eyes.

Freddie shook his head and just decided to pretend that he never heard her response. She sounded like she didn't care if he would die because of her. He suddenly thought if her anger towards him was that deep because truthfully, she was hurting him absent-mindedly. If only she knew how much he missed her, how much he wished that things were back to normal between them.

"Cupca- Oh, you're here! Wow! I never thought you'd get here so fast."

Freddie put down the sword and looked at his other best friend in disbelief. "Sam?"

"Yeah, yeah! I did this! Didn't Carly tell you?" she smirked.

Freddie then turned around to look at Carly. She was looking at her side, her eyes giving nothing away as she pouted.

"Carly? You should have told me this was her idea!" he told her but Carly just stubbornly stuck her tongue out at him. Freddie then turned back to Sam who had her arms crossed against her chest. She was grinning at him. "Why?"

"So you and Carly could talk to each other and fix things! Do you know how hard it is to be stuck in the middle of your two hard-headed best friends who obviously want to make up but are too proud to start talking to each other once again?" she said breathlessly. "I'll tell you how hard it is, Benson. Quite!"

"I don't have time for your games, Puckett! You're going to untie Carly and the three of us are going home! Now! " he snarled.

He walked angrily towards the door, leaving Carly still behind.

"I'm not playing games with you, Freddie! I'm serious. You're not going anywhere!" Sam stopped him before he was out.

"You can't make me stay here, Sam! I can pass by you anytime, anywhere!" he declared sternly.

Sam raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

Before Freddie could say anything, Pete and Gibby appeared behind Sam. Gibby was eating tacos and Pete was just standing there, looking at him apologetically. He was lovesick alright, and something told Freddie that the guy in front of him was more than willing to do anything Sam would ask him to.

"You still can't stop me." Freddie stated even though he wasn't so sure anymore.

With one look from Sam, the two guys held Freddie and made him sit on the couch inside the office. They made sure he wouldn't be able to stand up and escape.

"Now, you guys are gonna talk about whatever your problem is. I will lock the door and you are not allowed to go out unless you monkeys are friends again." she explained coolly before she was interrupted by Wendy who was now standing behind her, holding paper bags of food and two bottles of water.

"Here you go, Sam."

"Thanks, Wendy. Just put those on Carly's desk." Sam requested before she remembered something else. "Oh, and before I forget. Grab the phone after you unplug it. We don't want them calling for help." she added cleverly.

Wendy nodded and did what she was asked. She whispered an apology to Carly before she made her way back to where she was standing a couple of minutes ago.

"Let's go boys." Sam called and then she turned to Carly. "Goodnight cupcake."

Carly growled. "Don't you cupcake me, Sam! I'm going to get you for this!"

Gibby and Pete finally released Freddie without taking their eyes off of him. When they made sure that he wasn't about to try to escape, they quickly stood behind Sam and let her lock the door. They were all aware of what they needed to do: wait and hope for the best.

* * *

Carly groaned as soon as she heard the front door close, indicating that Sam and her other friends had completely left them alone. She glared at Freddie who was just sitting on the couch located at the right side of the room with his head buried in his hands.

"Hey!" she yelled and he looked up at her. "Well? Aren't you going to untie me?"

Freddie rolled his eyes and leaned back. "You said you don't want me to touch you. I'm just doing what you want, Carly."

"I hate you!" she retorted angrily.

"You don't mean that." he teased.

"Just untie me before I do something bad to you!" she warned impatiently.

He snickered. "Like kiss me?"

"Over my dead body." she replied dramatically as she rolled her eyes.

With his signature smirk plastered upon his face, Freddie stood up and approached an irritated Carly. He untied her hands carefully and as she rubbed her wrists, he then proceeded to remove the rope looped around her ankles.

"Stay away from me!" she yelled again to Freddie's surprise after he freed her. "Go sit on the couch!"

"Again, what?" Freddie asked in disbelief.

"Sit on the couch!" she demanded while pointing to the couch.

Freddie didn't ask anymore questions. Instead, he did what she asked to prevent the situation from getting worse. He threw himself on the couch and just watched her rummage through one of the drawers of her desk.

"You're welcome!" he told her sarcastically.

Carly ignored him and continued searching. When she finally found what she was looking for, she smiled deviously and went towards the end of the room.

"What are you doing? You're not planning on tying me up with that duct tape, are you? Because I'm telling you, all you have to do is ask to get a free kiss from me."

"Oh, shut up!"

She then did what she was planning to do: dividing the room into two parts using the duct tape. There was the right side where Freddie and the couch were and the left side which had the access the to the restroom inside the office. The only common thing that both of the sides had was the desk and the food on top of it.

"Is that really necessary?" Freddie asked the moment he realized what she was planning to do.

"It's very necessary, Freddie." she placed the duct tape on top of the desk after she was done and then put both her hands on her hips. "You know why? Because I don't want you in my personal space. Ever!"

Freddie sighed before he stood up again and started walking towards Carly. He might as well give up and say sorry because he knew he wouldn't be able to take being in the same room as her but he was not allowed to be close to her, to touch her, or to hold her.

"Carly..." he breathed as he approached her.

"Ep!" she raised her right hand up to stop him. "No crossing the line. Stay on your side of the room."

"This is insane!" he stated as a matter-of-factly. "What if I need to use the bathroom?"

Carly raised her eyebrows and grinned at him. "That's not my problem anymore."

"Ugh!" Freddie turned his back on her and decided to return to his couch. "You're so childish! You're even crazier than Sam! That's right, I said it! I can't believe you were my childhood crush, my best friend, and the girl I-"

"What?" she pressed when he stopped talking.

"Nothing." he whispered. "Just... just forget it. I'll stay on my side if that makes you happy."

Carly was dying to know what he was just about to say but she didn't want to let her guard down. She knew he didn't mean what he just said because there was no way he'd regret being best friends with her. They'd been through a lot since they were teenagers.

She grabbed the recliner behind her desk and placed it against the wall on the left. With the couch and the chair approximately just four meters apart, she could watch Freddie's every move. She sat on the soft chair gracefully and crossed both her legs and arms, her eyes never leaving Freddie.

When he noticed she was watching him like a hawk, he decided to stare at her too. Every time, he was still mesmerized by her beauty. He loved how her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, how her eyes were staring at him intensely making it impossible for the butterflies in his stomach to settle down, how her eyebrows were furrowed in frown, how her cheeks had a shade of pink in them which he thought probably because she was mad, and how her lips were pouting like there's no tomorrow.

"Stop staring at me!" Carly exclaimed as she was becoming self-conscious with the way he was staring at him. She was afraid that he'd see her blush when she was supposed to be mad at him.

He blinked hard when he heard her loud voice.

"Stop staring at me!" he exclaimed too.

"I'm watching you." Carly told him.

The staring game continued for a while when both of them realized they were both becoming hungry. Freddie broke his stare first to get his food and when he returned to his couch, Carly went to the desk to grab her own. After they were done with their meals, they went back to what they were doing before.

Carly was getting tired every minute. She never had a decent sleep for almost half a week. Her eyes were getting heavy, begging her to just give up and close them. She eventually did but when she was on the verge of losing consciousness, she heard him call her name softly.

"Carly..."

She opened her eyes.

"Carly..."

She sat up straight and groaned.

"Carls..."

"What!" she hissed. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep here? Be quiet!"

She closed her eyes again and hoped that Freddie would keep his mouth shut so she could finally dream... of him.

"I need to use the bathroom!"

She pretended to hear nothing.

"Carly! Will you let me cross the line just this once? I really, really need to use the bathroom."

Still, Carly tried her her best to ignore him. When he realized that she wasn't going to respond anytime soon, he thought of a plan to get her to stop pretending she was sleeping.

"I don't wanna close my eyes... I don't wanna fall asleep 'cause I'd miss you, babe. And I don't wanna miss a thiiiing! 'Cause even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream would never do. I'd still miss you, babe. And I don't wanna miss a thiiiing..."

"Freddiiiieee!" she growled. "Stoooop!"

"I don't wanna miss a thiiiiiiiing!"

Carly wanted to laugh out loud because really, he wasn't exactly the best singer but he sure knew how to irritate someone with his singing. Trying to stop herself from giggling uncontrollably, she finally agreed to let him use the bathroom.

"Fine! You can cross the line. Just stop singing or whatever it is you're doing. You're making my ears bleed!" she exaggerated.

He finally stopped singing before making his way towards the rest room with a victorious smile. "Thank you."

She just rolled her eyes in response and tried to sleep once more.

When he was done with his business, he exited the restroom only to find Carly tossing and turning on the recliner. It looked like she was trying so hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Her eyes were closed but she kept on moving restlessly. He thought she fell asleep too fast.

Without any hesitations, Freddie scooped her up gently and carefully so he wouldn't wake her up. He heard a tiny whimper escape her lips as he took a step but when she circled her arms around his neck and buried her face on the crook of his neck, he smiled and continued walking.

He was meaning to put her down on the couch but every time he attempted to, Carly just wouldn't disentangle her arms around his neck. She would moan softly to protest each time, causing Freddie to giggle. In the end, he just decided to cradle her in his arms and let her sleep on his lap.

"Don't get too comfortable." he joked as he stroked her hair.

Even though he was getting pretty tired too, Freddie kept himself awake and just savored the moment. He knew he'd never get to hold her again like that. Things were to become different after she finds out. He had to tell her sooner or later but he didn't have enough courage. He was afraid that her reaction would make him change his mind, would make him leave _her._

And so, he decided to tell her everything as he listened to her even breathing.

"I really missed you." he took a deep breath before he continued. "You know, I was with Shelby last weekend because I gave her a ride to Vancouver so she could see her grammy on her birthday. We spent Saturday night star-gazing just like what we always do at Stanford. And then she told me she likes me which I really didn't expect. I told her I like her too because she's been a good company and then it just happened. She kissed me. I... I don't know. It happened so fast. I like her, Carls. But she's... you're..."

He suddenly felt her cringe in his arms.

"Are you awake, kisses?"

Nothing could describe what Carly was feeling when she heard his confession. She wanted to cry even though she knew it wouldn't make her feel any better but she promised herself she wouldn't let him see that she was hurt. She wanted him to see that she was happy for him, for them. Sam would probably disagree with her but selfishness was definitely not an option.

Gathering every ounce of courage inside her, she finally looked up to meet his gaze.

"You heard everything."

She nodded.

"Are you mad at me?"

Freddie wanted her to say yes. He wanted Carly to yell at him and tell him that Shelby was not the one for him. He wouldn't care if people would think he was being selfish because he was ready. He just needed to hear those magic words from Carly and he'd be willing to take powerful punches from Shelby.

"No. I'm not mad." she forced a smile no matter how hard it was. "I'm really happy for you and Shelby."

Freddie held Carly closer and tighter if it was even possible and let her bury her face on his shoulder once more, pressing his lips against her hair twice.

At that moment, none of them seemed to know about a few drops of tear that escape the other's eyes.


	30. Chapter 30

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Carly repeatedly forced a smile until she finally convinced herself that she was happy for Freddie. It had been a week since Sam locked both of them inside the shop and she was quite thankful that Freddie was sensitive enough not to talk about his new girlfriend whenever they were together.

Sam, however, wasn't letting it go.

She would always ask her if she was okay and if there was something she needed to let out, she would always be there to listen and to understand. Sam would trap her in an embrace whenever she felt like it, as if she knew very well when her tears were threatening to fall.

And it was one of those nights when Sam was being extra sensitive to what she was feeling.

"Hey, cupcake. Pete's working late tonight so I'm yours for the evening. What do you want to do?" Sam asked giddily as she jumped into Carly's bed.

Carly smiled before turning her chair to face Sam. "I'm kind of tired from working today. Besides, we have to wake up early tomorrow. I'm crawling to bed early tonight."

Sam growled at her. "8 pm? Seriously? Who sleeps at 8 pm? Students who have school in the morning don't even sleep at 8 pm."

"Well, I'm tired." Carly faked a yawn. "Can't you call Wendy and Gibby or someone? You can even call Fre-. Oh, wait. He must be out with Shelby tonight." Her face suddenly fell upon mentioning their names together.

"That's it, Shay! I've had enough of this shenanigan! You and I are going out tonight and there will be no questions asked, no violent reactions or whatsoever." Sam got up from the bed and went towards her. Carly frowned when Sam grabbed her hand and forced her to stand up.

"Sam..." Carly whined as she was being dragged towards her revolving closet. "I don't want to go out. Please? Please let me sleep early tonight? Sammy?"

Sam turned to her and sighed. Carly knew Sam couldn't resist her pleas as much as Freddie couldn't. A victorious smile was slowly forming on her lips but Sam's words wiped it off her face immediately.

"Won't work for tonight, cupcake. Maybe some other time." Sam said sharply, causing Carly to groan audibly.

When Sam freed her hand to check out some of the dresses inside her closet, she hurriedly flopped herself on the bed and covered herself with the blanket. She really didn't want to go out and have fun because she thought it would be no use. She would never get Freddie and Shelby off her mind no matter how hard she tries or how many glasses of wine she drinks.

"If you don't get up there now, I'm gonna go tell Freddie why you're acting like this to get this over with. I'm gonna count to three, Shay." Sam warned her. "One. Two..."

Carly sat up immediately. "Don't tell Freddie! Please, Sam!"

Sam sighed and sat beside her best friend. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her. "Cupcake, I really think you should tell Freddie what you feel for him. It's the only way to free yourself from all this."

"I can't." Carly shook her head and looked away. "I don't want to ruin this for him."

"I hate seeing you like this." Sam stated.

Carly finally smiled. "I'll be fine. I know you're just looking out for me, Sam. You're really the best."

"I know." she smiled proudly before she continued. "And since I'm the best, you're gonna go get dressed and we're gonna have some fun tonight. Do something for yourself."

Carly thought for a moment. Sam was right. She was stressing herself too much with work and she needed a little time-out. A girl like her could only take so much and going out with Sam was what she really needed. She decided to forget Freddie and her stupid feelings for him just for that night.

* * *

"Are you having fun, Carls?" Sam asked as she sat beside her.

Sam had brought Carly to a bar and truthfully, even though she was just sitting there and sipping her iced tea while watching Sam do all her killer moves, she was having a blast. She would sing along with the songs being played and would smile at how Sam was literally conquering the dance floor.

"Yeah. You're really rocking it out there!" Carly chuckled.

Without any warning, Sam grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the middle of the room before she could even protest.

"No, no, no." But it was too late. "What are you doing?" she asked her.

"Come on, Carly! Don't be such a kill joy! I didn't bring you here to just sit there and drink some iced tea. I told you we're gonna have some fun!"

Sam started dancing and Carly couldn't help but join her best friend though she was hesitant at first. It wasn't too long when she realized that she was having a good time. She just let the music be her guide as she danced with Sam and all the other people inside the room. The two of them would look at each other and giggle, not wanting to stop themselves until they were both tired and their legs couldn't make it anymore.

After dancing to five songs or so, they both went back to where they were sitting a while ago and decided to order some drinks.

"I'll just go to the rest room, Carls. I'll be right back."

Carly nodded and sipped her drink as she waited for Sam to come back. What she didn't realize was there was this certain brown-haired guy who was checking her out, staring at her from the moment she started dancing. When he saw that Sam left her alone, he thought it was his chance so he sat beside Carly and ordered himself some vodka.

"Hey." he greeted her.

Carly just smiled and nodded at him before focusing on her drink once more. He looked okay to her but she really wasn't in the mood to talk to someone she had just met.

The guy, however, was thinking of things he could say that could start a decent conversation. He was watching her ever since she entered the place and the moment he saw her smile, he knew he was struck by something. He thought he needed to know her because God knows when he'd see her again.

Just when he thought it was over and he missed his chance, a song started playing and he heard her singing along with it. He chuckled and she must have heard it because she suddenly turned to him.

"What?" Carly asked, slightly annoyed. She was sure he was laughing at her.

The guy shook his head and smiled. "Nothing."

"Crazy!" Carly remarked as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not laughing at you. I swear. It's just... I love that song and hearing you sing it amuses me. You sing pretty good." he complimented as he looked at her.

"Oh." It was the only thing she could say. "You love that song?"

"That song and all the other songs by Cuttlefish."

"No way!" Carly exclaimed. "I love Cuttlefish. I listen to their songs all the time and when we were still in high school, my best friend Sam, she got two tickets to see them live but then we had a fight because she traded the t-shirt I gave her for those tickets so she ended up taking one of our classmates instead which made me mad even more because I really wanted to go and..."

"Woah, woah." he chuckled as he stopped her from rambling. "Slow down."

"Sorry." she apologized as her cheek turned pink. "I do that a lot when I'm excited about something."

"It's alright." he assured her and for the first time that night, he saw her smile at him. "So, what brings you here?"

"Just unwinding. You know, too much stress from work." she replied casually, emptying the remains of her drink.

He nodded. "What kind of work exactly?"

"I own a flower shop with Sam." she answered before asking him the same question. She became curious suddenly, like she wanted to know more about the guy she was talking to. To her, he seemed harmless and there was no denying he was kinda cute too.

"Well, I'm a doctor." he replied humbly which amused her more.

"Are you serious?" she questioned in bewilderment. "But you're too young to seem like one."

He laughed. "Yeah, I hear that from people all the time. Actually, I just got my degree last year so I'm still new to this thing. It's pretty amazing though. I love what I do."

"You should." Carly smiled at him, finally believing what he said. "So next question... What brings you here?"

"Will you believe me if I tell you that this is my first time in a place like this too?"

Her eyes narrowed at him before she shook his head vigorously.

"What?" he chuckled lightly as he watched her move her head sidewards. She looked cute and adorable and he couldn't help admiring how free-spirited she was.

"You're bluffing." she stated, smiling at him.

"No. Really." he smiled back. "It's my best friend's birthday today and he just practically dragged me in here."

"I don't believe you." she insisted playfully.

"Oh, so you don't believe me?"

"I don't." she repeated, giggling.

He suddenly took his eyes off her for the first time since they've started talking to look for someone. When he spotted the person he was looking for, he waved at him knowing that Carly was watching him. A dancing dude waved back and that was all he needed to show her.

"So, you believe me now?" he asked.

"Maybe." she replied and they both laughed heartily, enjoying each other's company.

They talked about random things and Carly seemed to have forgotten about Sam and what was taking her so long in the restroom. When Sam finally came back, she immediately dragged Carly away from her seat, not noticing that she was talking to someone.

"I'm busted!" Sam whispered to her.

Carly shot an apologetic look to the guy before she looked at Sam confusingly. "What do you mean you're busted?"

"Pete found out I brought you here. He called to check up on me and he accidentally heard the loud music blasting from the room. He's coming to pick us up in ten minutes." Sam explained and Carly couldn't help but laugh at how frantic her best friend was.

"Sam?" she called out. "You're afraid of Pete, aren't you?"

"No!" she denied loudly. "I'm not afraid of anyone. I just don't want him to be mad at me."

"Whatever you say..." Carly teased in a sing-song voice, causing Sam to roll her eyes.

"Hurry up, Shay! We should get going!"

"Okay, I'll just say goodbye to someone." Carly whispered to her before turning her attention back to him.

He forced a smile after hearing the conversation. "So you have to go?"

"Yeah. Boyfriend issues. Well, not my boyfriend. Sam's." she explained. "So I guess I'll see you around. I had fun talking to you..." her eyebrows furrowed in frown when she realized that they both still didn't know what each other's name is.

"Nate." he continued for her as he reached out his hand.

"Carly." she shook his hand. "It was really nice meeting you."

"The pleasure is all mine."

She smiled one last smile before she turned around to see Sam smiling widely at her. As Carly was about to take Sam's hand so they could already leave, she heard him call her name one more time as if he was forgetting something very important.

"Carly..." he repeated as he was now standing before the two of them. "You might think that I'm insane because it's too soon to ask but I was wondering if... I am ..." he stuttered, looking at the floor the whole time he was talking to her.

"What?" Carly asked curiously.

"My golly!" Sam rolled her eyes once again before she butt in the conversation. "He wants to take you out, Carls!"

"Oh." she looked at him and when he locked eyes with her, she could tell that he was confirming what Sam had said. "Listen... I'm going through a lot right now and I don't think going out with someone is something I should do. Don't get me wrong. You seem like a nice man and I really had fun talking to you but my life's been pretty crazy and..."

"I get it." he cut her off. "It's okay, really."

She sighed. "I'm so glad you understand."

"So... I'll just see you around?"

Carly nodded even though she felt sorry for him. She wanted to take it back but she really wasn't ready. Besides, she knew nothing could change the way she felt for Freddie. She'd never meet a guy who could replace Freddie in her life and it really sucked for her because she only realized it now when he finally drifted his attention to someone else.

"I really think you should give him a chance." Sam whispered as soon as they started walking. "It looked like he wanted to cry."

"Sam!" Carly scolded her.

"He seems nice to me. What's stopping you, cupcake? It's just one date. One friendly date. If he turns out bad, then you can throw him out of your life forever."

"I don't know..."

"Come on, Carls. Everyone deserves a chance."

She considered it for a moment. Sure, she felt bad for the guy but was he really worth it?

Carly didn't know what made her change her mind exactly but she suddenly found herself turning around and approaching him. When he saw her walking towards him, his smile turned hopeful and Sam just couldn't control herself from giggling.

"How about Saturday night, 7pm?" Carly said to him.

* * *

"I hate working overtime!" Freddie exclaimed as he let himself inside Carly's loft using his duplicate key.

He was greeted by Sam who was busy munching on her ribs while watching television. He sat down beside her and helped himself with her juice which made Sam groan in response. He was waiting for Carly to come right out of the kitchen or storm down the stairs. When there was no sign of her, he let his eyes wander around the room.

"Don't get your hopes up, Fredweirdo." Sam stated without taking her eyes off the movie she was watching. "Carly's not here."

Freddie frowned. "What do you mean she's not here? Did she go out to buy something? Or is she working late tonight?"

"Nah. She's out on a date." she replied as casual as possible, hoping to get the reaction she wanted from him.

"What? Carly? On a date?" he exclaimed. "Where? With who? Why?"

Sam looked at him like he was a complete lunatic. "I don't know! Why don't you go home and annoy yourself with your stupid questions!"

"My questions aren't stupid!" he retorted angrily before repeating himself impatiently. "Who took her out?"

Sam just shrugged. "Some Nate guy she met at the bar three days ago."

"She went to a bar?" he exclaimed again. "Why did she go to a bar? Carly doesn't go to bars!"

"I took her."

"You did what?" he stood up now so he could tower over her. "I should have known this was your fault from the very beginning!"

Hearing that, Sam dropped her ribs and stood up too so she could face him. "My fault? For all we know she may be having the grandest time with Nate tonight! And it is your fault in the first place so don't blame this on me! Just go out with your girlfriend and leave me and Carly and Nate alone!"

He crossed his arms against his chest. "No! And how is it my fault? I'm not the one who urged her to go out with some random guy she just met at the bar! What if he's a psycho? What if he doesn't really care about Carly? He's a stranger, Sam! He's a stranger for God's sake!"

Sam was about to answer him but she remembered her promise to Carly. She promised not to tell Freddie what Carly's real feelings for him were. Even though Sam was known for breaking everything, from rules to laws to somebody's bones, she wouldn't break her promise to her best friend.

"It's your fault because you're too damn scared to admit to Carly that you're still in love with her after all these years!" she shot back at him. "You took the easy way out by dating Shelby Marx instead of telling Carly that you still feel the same way! And you're just mad about her going out because you're jealous!"

Freddie was taken aback by what Sam said. He opened his mouth to say something, to yell something to her but no words came out. Sam was right. He had no right to whine about Carly dating someone else because he was a coward. He missed his chance.

"Carly made it clear that she doesn't like me anyway." Freddie's tone changed suddenly as he sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

"You don't know that." Sam mumbled to herself, making sure Freddie wouldn't hear.

After a few minutes of silence, Freddie finally stood up. "Go get changed. We're coming to get Carly." he ordered her.

"No way, Benson! I'm not ruining this for her. For all we know, Nate might be the perfect guy for her. If you want, you can go by yourself." Sam teased him although she was quite convinced that they really should get Carly and stop her from falling for the wrong guy now that she knew that Freddie was still madly in love with Carly.

Freddie groaned in response. "What do I need to do? I need your help, Sam. Carly can't just... she can't just... Ahhhhh!" he threw his arms in the air out of frustration.

"Alright, alright! Just stop acting like a nub!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**I know, I know. It's about time. lol I'll try to post the next chapter faster this time. :-D**

**Thanks for STILL reading. :) :)  
**


	31. Chapter 31

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Sam hissed as she made herself comfortable behind a huge plant-box inside the restaurant where Carly and Nate were having dinner. "And these stupid plants make my face itch!"

"All you ever do is complain!" Freddie shot back without taking his eyes off Carly and Nate. "And please stop moving? You're gonna blow our cover, Puckett!"

Sam rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see it. "I still don't understand why we have to hide. I mean, we can just show ourselves to Carly and Nate and practically drag her out of here. It would be a lot easier than hiding behind these stupid plants!"

"The plants didn't do anything bad to you so stop calling them stupid." Freddie scolded. "Besides, Carly wouldn't forgive us if she finds out we sabotaged her dinner with that guy!"

"Geez. You think?" Sam answered sarcastically.

Freddie refused to answer back before Carly or Nate could hear their usually loud bickering. Fortunately, the two were busy giggling and talking non-stop which made Sam snicker at how Freddie looked at that moment. His hands were balled in a fist and his jaw was clenched tight. His glare towards Nate was so deadly that no one in the room would even dare to mess with him.

Except for Sam. She was the mighty Sam Puckett and she was born to torture Freddie. At least, she believed she was.

"Yeah, I'd be dying of jealousy right now if I were you." Sam grinned as she watched with him.

She became the next recipient of his stare and she almost, almost backed away. "Why would I be jealous of that guy? Seriously? Carly has barely even known him."

"True. But can't you see she's having the grandest time? You know, this would've been the perfect moment to say 'I told you so'. But since you're so down and depressed and jealous of Nate, I would like to say that I pity you. And..." she paused dramatically before she continued with a devious grin upon her face. "I told you so."

"You know, I brought you here to help me." he stated calmly. "You should be saying encouraging words like 'Freddie, Carly deserves so much more than that Nate guy' or something like 'You know, you and Carly are meant to be' because that would surely make me feel better."

Sam gave him a disgusting look which he kind of expected. "Like I'd choose you over him."

"What? I'm your best friend! On which side are you? Team Freddie or team Nate?" he raised his eyebrow and waited for her answer patiently.

"Team Nate." she declared too quickly which caused Freddie to groan.

"What does he have that I don't?"

"Let's see..." Sam pursed her chin and thought deeply. "He's a freaking young doctor, he owns a silver Toyota Prius, his hair looks awesome, his smile is enough to take any girl's breath away, and he's super duper hot. Oh yeah, and he doesn't have a girlfriend so he's pretty much the type of guy I want for Carly."

He was supposed to answer her back because even though he was never good at that game, he'd never ever surrender to Sam. They were meant to argue about anything until Carly yells so loud and they had no other choice but to shut up. But the last words Sam said left a mark on him. Nate was single and he wasn't. He should be happy that Cary could finally have the chance to be with someone who would be good enough for her. It could finally be Carly-Nate just like Sam-Pete or even Freddie-Shelby.

But he was selfish. He already had Shelby, who was sweet and kind and lovable despite being tough and brave and scary outside, and yet, he was still longing for the only thing he's ever wanted more than anyone could ever imagine. He wanted Carly to be his, and no one else's.

"I think we should leave." He suddenly blurted out after the silence. "We don't want to ruin her evening."

Before he could stand up and be true to his words, Sam stopped him fast enough by holding his wrist and dragging him back down forcefully. "_That_ is your problem! You don't fight! You're a freaking coward, Benson! And because of that, you're losing her. You've had so many chances before and you blew it all! You're so close! Are you gonna just leave now too? Because I'm telling you, if you walk out of this restaurant without doing anything, you won't be able to ask for my help regarding this matter ever again!"

He blinked hard and the only words that came out of his mouth softly were "I don't have a plan..."

She rolled her eyes. Of course, he didn't. "So you just dragged me here without a battle plan? I should have known! If you're in a combat, you could have been dead by now!"

Freddie bowed his head and kept quiet before he heard her speak again. He wished Sam would tell him she had something in mind because his own was failing him. He couldn't think rationally when Carly was just a few feet away from him, talking to the most perfect guy he'd ever known next to Jake.

"I have an idea." Sam stated suddenly and he nodded as a sign of gratitude. "But you have to do something in return."

"I'll buy you whatever it is that you want. Ham, bacon, meat... Anything." he answered without thinking twice.

Sam shook her head. "You're not doing something for me. You're doing something for yourself and for Carly." When he didn't respond, she continued. "If you really love Carly, end your relationship with Shelby. Be a man and do what you need to do. You know you can't have them both."

He swallowed hard. Again, Sam was right. He needed to choose what he desires the most and he didn't even need to think about it because as he looked at her at that moment, as he watched her being taken away from him little by little, he knew the answer right away.

"I'll do it." He answered bravely, ignoring the scary thoughts running in his mind about what Shelby could do to him if that time comes.

"Alright." she said. "Give me twenty bucks. Here's the plan."

* * *

"So tell me more about yourself." Carly told him with a smile on her face.

She was having a good time and enjoying his company that night. She never really thought about getting into a relationship with Nate even though he was literally everything a girl could ever wish for because she's so in love and heart-broken at the same time and going steady with someone wouldn't help her current dilemma. But she wanted Nate to be her friend and from the looks of it, he wanted to be hers too.

"I graduated from Harvard." he answered, grinning at her. "I was the star player of their basketball team and I once scored seventy points in a single game. I almost invented a time machine too and was considered to go to outer space once for an experiment."

"The truth, mister!" she demanded playfully with an eyebrow raised. "Now!"

He chuckled, loving the way she looked at that moment. "You caught me there. Anyway, honesty time. I'm not really good at basketball. I kinda suck actually. I'm the nerdy type of guy. And I didn't graduate from Harvard. I went to Stanford."

"No, no, no." she shook her head vigorously.

"What?" he smiled. "You don't believe me..."

"Really? Stanford?" she asked in disbelief. "I went there too."

His mouth hung open before he finally giggled. "That's interesting. I didn't know that but for the record, I really am telling the truth. I graduated three years ago and went back to Seattle immediately after that."

"Well, you're two years ahead of me. I went to Stanford with my best friend. We practically spent our whole college life together." Carly smiled at the memories of her and Freddie during the good old days. She missed the time when the only thing that drifted his attention away from her was his being the varsity of the swimming team.

"I didn't know Sam went to Stanford either. Now I know why you're really close with her."

"Silly. I'm not talking about Sam." she answered quickly and when he didn't respond, she continued. "I'm talking about Freddie, my other best friend. He's the greatest. He cares a lot about me and Sam and he's always been there for me. He's really special to me and I'm lucky to have him in my life."

Nate knew he didn't have the right to be jealous because he just met her and yet, he became uncomfortable hearing those words about Freddie coming from the girl he fancied for the first time he saw her.

"Well, I'm sure he's a great guy but I think he's luckier because he has someone like you."

Carly faked a smile, thinking how Nate didn't have any clue at all on what was happening between her and Freddie. He had no idea that Freddie was the very reason she went to the bar that night. He had no idea that she was in love with her best friend.

"I just wish I've met you sooner." Nate whispered as he looked directly into her eyes. "I can't believe we practically went to the same university together and we hadn't bumped into each other even just a single time."

She laughed softly, looking down at her plate. "Maybe we've seen each other before. We just thought of each other as a stranger."

"I doubt it." Nate replied. "If I ever saw you before, I would have asked you out right then and there."

She frowned upon hearing what he said but when she saw the seriousness in his eyes, her expression changed. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her believe he was telling the truth.

Before Carly could say something, a waitress approached their table and asked if everything's good and if they needed something else. Carly watched Nate lean back into his seat as she talked to her.

"I'm good. Thank you." she answered with a smile.

The waitress then turned to him. "How about you- Oh, it's you!"

Nate's eyebrows furrowed in frown as he looked at her, then at Carly, and then back at her. "I'm sorry?"

"I had fun last night." the waitress answered with a contagious smile. "You said you're gonna call me so we could go out again soon? I was waiting for your call all night but it never came. But I'm so glad I saw you here. At least you know where to find me." she winked at him.

"You might have mistaken me for some other guy. I believe I haven't met you before." he stated demurely.

"Oh, Nate! You always make me laugh with your jokes." he frowned yet again when he realized she knew his name. She then turned to Carly and checked her out. "Who is she? Your sister?"

"Excuse me?" Carly asked in disbelief but she was ignored.

"Anyway, I still have work but if you want, you can pick me up after you bring your sister home. My shift will be over by then." She kissed him on the cheek when she thought her manager and co-workers were not looking before going back to the kitchen.

Silence.

"I don't know how she knows my name." he explained even though she wasn't asking for it.

Carly looked down and whispered softly. "I want to go home."

He sighed. "Carly, please... Believe me. I don't know that woman. I haven't met her before."

"She knows your name." she refused to look at him. "I thought you're different, Nate. I thought you're a great guy and I'm starting to consider you as a friend. But I guess I was wrong."

"Carly... I'm different. I'm not that kind of guy." he pleaded softly, hoping she would listen. "Please..."

She stood up and grabbed her purse from the table. "I wanna go home." she repeated as she started to walk away.

"Then please let me drive you." he followed her but she turned around abruptly, shaking her head.

"No. I'll call someone. Just go home and... leave me alone."

She was supposed to go out of the restaurant but she found herself inside the girls' restroom. After washing her hands and drying them with a tissue, she grabbed her purse and took out her phone. After deciding on who to call, she finally dialed the digits one by one.

"Hey, Carls."

"Can you pick me up?" Carly said in a low voice.

"Of course. I'll be there in a minute."

"Thanks."

* * *

**A/N:**

**There you go! I told you I'm gonna upload the next chapter as soon as possible. LOL But seriously, I can't believe I updated twice in a span of one week!**

**Hope you guys like it! This chapter's a bit shorter than the previous ones though. :-)  
**


	32. Chapter 32

"Go drive around!" Sam instructed him while strapping her seat belt on. "We don't want her suspecting on how we got to the restaurant so fast."

He heaved a heavy sigh. "I know, I know."

She looked at him in disbelief. "What's your problem, Benson? Our plan worked! You're supposed to be happy. It's what you want, isn't it? Nate is now out of her life thanks to your twenty bucks."

"I still feel bad about what we did. I think Nate's a good guy with the way he followed Carly and insisted on giving her a ride home." he reasoned and before Sam could open her mouth, he continued, "Besides, that's not what's bugging me."

"Then what?" she asked impatiently.

"She called you instead of me." he replied softly, furrowing his eyebrows as he made a turn. "You don't even have a car to pick her up and she still chose to call you."

Sam grinned. "I told you I'm her favorite." When Freddie didn't respond, Sam shook her head and groaned. "Okay. You wanna know why she didn't call you? It's because you have a girlfriend whom Carly respects so much. She understands that Shelby is your number one priority now and not her."

"It doesn't mean I love her any less."

"She doesn't know." Sam answered simply and when she caught a glimpse of Carly walking out of the restaurant, she told him to pull over. "That's why you have to tell her. Take her somewhere tonight. I don't know where. Just do it."

He looked at her. "What about you?"

"I'm a woman!" she yelled. "I can take care of myself!"

He sighed. "Why did I even ask..."

Carly wasn't that shocked when she saw Cukey stop in front of her. She kind of expected Sam would call Freddie for back-up and she did wish he'd come. She wanted to feel his presence and pretend that he was still his knight in shining armor, ready to rescue her whenever she needed. Except that he had a princess now, making her just a damsel in distress.

As soon as Sam came out of the car, she ran into her and buried her head on her shoulder. Sam patted her back and whispered "What happened?" as part of the plan. When they parted, Carly just smiled weakly, not wanting to talk about the subject further. She then looked at Freddie, who was standing on his side of the car but made no attempt to approach her.

"Thanks for coming with Sam." She thanked him instead before she tore her eyes away from him.

"Anytime."

His one word response put a tentative smile on her face.

As silence ensued between the three of them, Sam was getting ready to put her second part of the plan into action. She sent a text message to Pete and after a few seconds, her phone rang.

"Hi handsome... Oh... Actually, I'm here at the restaurant I told you about. We picked Carly up... Yeah... Really? That's great... Okay, I'll see you in ten... Can't wait to see you too."

"Something tells me you're not gonna be riding home with us." Carly teased her best friend with a chuckle.

Sam grinned at her. "Momma's got a last minute date. You two go on. I'll just wait for Pete inside."

"In your pajamas?" Carly asked in disbelief, causing Freddie to shake his head and laugh softly.

"Uh-huh."

Freddie gave Sam a playful salute when he thought Carly wasn't looking. He promised himself he'd buy her something to thank her for everything she'd been doing for him and Carly. With the way things were going, both of them really needed a best friend they could count on and no matter how insane Sam was, she was just perfect for the role.

"Just say hi to Pete for me." Carly smiled.

"Will do, cupcake."

"And don't stay out too long or else I'll lock you out of the apartment!" she added, giggling.

"Yeah, yeah."

Sam rolled her eyes playfully before walking towards Carly to give her another hug. She didn't let go of her too soon she could say something to Freddie without Carly knowing what it was.

"Don't bring her home yet." she mouthed.

He nodded and with that, Sam pulled away from Carly. They waved their goodbyes before Freddie and Carly got inside the car.

Awkward. Neither Carly nor Freddie had the guts to say something first. She didn't want him to ask what was wrong or what the hell happened because she knew how he gets whenever he finds out she's out on a date. He, on the other hand, was still feeling guilty about what they did to her dinner with Nate. He couldn't imagine what she'd do to him once she finds out.

"So..." he started. "What happened?"

She let out a heavy sigh and rested her head on the window of the car. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Come on." he glanced at her and smiled. "It will make you feel better."

"It won't." she answered lowly. "Besides, it's a long story anyway. I'll bore you to sleep."

"I have time."

"Okay." she finally gave in. "If you really want to hear about Nate then..."

He cut her off immediately. He didn't want to hear how awesome the guy is, especially from Carly. "You know what? It's fine. You don't have to tell me the story. It must be painful for you to recall what happened."

Carly's mood instantly changed and she found herself smiling in no time.

"Hey, kisses..." And it just got better for her. She couldn't quite remember the last time he called her that and she missed it. "Do you want to head straight home or you want to go somewhere else?"

"Home?" she teased.

"Too bad!" he smirked. "I'm taking you somewhere tonight."

She raised her eyebrows. "Will I ever have a say in this relationship?"

"Probably when you're twenty-six..." he shrugged and continued with a playful smile. "and we're married."

"So you're saying I still have to wait two years to get what I want?" she asked.

"Two years and a week. That's not so bad, isn't it? You'll be turning twenty-four next weekend." He heard Carly groan in her seat. "But I'm willing to compromise. I'm not asking for something big."

"What is it?"

"Just be with me tonight."

He was being serious and she swore that her heart melted.

* * *

"Wait here." Freddie told her after they both got out of the car.

She watched him run and cross the street before looking around to see where he had decided to bring her. Her eye caught the entrance to the park where they both used to go when they were kids. It was where he had the courage to talk to her for the first time after weeks of peeping through his peephole while standing on one of the dining chairs, waiting for her to come out with a lollipop and a doll.

Carly hugged herself and smiled, remembering how Freddie calmed her down because she thought Spencer was gone and he left her alone. When she didn't stop crying, he dropped his cotton candy and cried with her.

"Hey." he called breathlessly and when she turned around, she saw him holding three stems of red rose. "Thought I should give you something."

She accepted the flowers and smiled and he thought he could stare at her forever with her hair being blown by the wind and her cheeks all pink because of the coldness.

"You know..." she murmured and they started walking. "I see flowers everyday but it's still a different feeling when they're given to you by someone."

"Someone who cares a lot about you." he whispered softly.

Carly blushed and they stopped walking just outside the entrance. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, never talking his eyes off her for a second. Smiling broadly, she grabbed Freddie's hand and dragged him along with her.

After running and giggling for a while, she turned to him. She caught him looking at their hands laced together and it hit her. She shouldn't be the one holding his hand and by the way he's looking at it, she knew he was thinking the same thing too. Instinctively, she disentangled their fingers together and whispered an apology.

"Sorry."

Freddie never retreated his hand back. He felt like something was missing. He missed the warmth of her soft hands, the feelings he had whenever her fingers closed against his.

Giving her his most adorable smile, the one that always assures her that everything's alright, he reached for her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze.

They started walking again towards the park bridge, slowly this time, with their hands swinging as they go on.

"This place has a lot of memories." she muttered under her breath as they passed the playground.

He smiled. "Like the time when Sam licked the swing set?"

She laughed softly. "That and many more. You remember the time when the three of us decided to climb that tree?" she pointed to one of the tallest trees inside. "You and Sam were racing each other up and I couldn't lift my butt off the ground so..."

"So I stayed down with you." he continued for her. "How about the time when I almost cried because Sam got her DNA all over my ice cream cone?"

"I offered you mine." she answered with a smile. "What I would never forget is the time you stood up for me against that Ben kid. That was the first time I've ever seen you so mad. It surprised me because you were always so patient and calm with Sam."

"That's a lot different, Carls. Sam abuses me physically but she doesn't do anything bad to you. Ben made you cry by taking the doll your mom gave you. Even when we were kids, I've always hated it whenever you cry." he explained seriously before turning to her and grabbing both her hands. "Up to now."

_You make me cry._

"I'm a grown woman." She joked instead and broke free from his grip to show him her non-existent muscles.

"Yeah." he laughed. "Frothy's got more meat than you!"

She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow at him. "So you're comparing me to Sam's three-legged cat?"

He faked thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope. I'm pretty sure you''re a lot prettier than Frothy."

She broke out into laughter and he couldn't help but laugh with her. It wasn't long before he stopped to just listen and look at her, and it made him wonder how stupid he was for not trying to win her back after his casts were off. He was cursing himself internally for something he hadn't done almost eight years ago, something that was haunting him at the moment, and something that would probably hurt him a lot in the future.

Absentmindedly, he found himself reaching for her and finally cupping her cheek with his hand, he stared at her with undeniable longing. Carly closed her eyes and sighed heavily, wishing he could always hold her like that.

"You look beautiful in the moonlight."

His words were full of promises and she was trying her best not to fall for him all over again. But it was inevitable.

Freddie took off his jacket and put it around her.

"Thank you." she murmured.

They both leaned forward and watched the flowing water beneath them. Everything was peaceful and calm and the only thing they could hear was the sound of the rustling trees.

No one knew what to say next but thankfully, her phone's alarm broke the silence. She took it out from her jeans' pocket and silenced it with one click.

"It's one minute 'til 11:11."

He stared at her blankly. "Should we go home?"

"No, silly." she chuckled. "Time to make a wish."

He seemed frozen in his spot so she reached for his arm. "Close your eyes, Freddie. Please, for me?"

"For you."

Carly and Freddie looked up and closed their eyes simultaneously, both not knowing that they were wishing for the same thing. It sounded so cliché and even though they knew it would never happen in a million years, they wished to go back to the past when they were both still young and free and they could go for anything, or anyone for that matter, they really want to be with.

He opened his eyes too soon and glanced at her. She was still in her wishing state, her eyes closed and her lips pursed into a half-smile. He was on the verge of smiling too but seeing a single tear escape her eyes prevented him from doing so.

"Carly..." he breathed. "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Come here."

He closed his arms around her as tight as possible and rested his chin on top of her hair. Even when she was really okay, he would still find a reason to hold her close and breathe her scent in.

It led him to one of the toughest decisions he had to make. He realized that the only thing he would give up everything for, he was holding in his arms. He might have felt love for Shelby, but it was nothing compared to what he was feeling for the woman he never wanted to let go of at that particular moment.

It was now or never.

He was getting ready to share his heart when his phone suddenly rang, making Carly pull away and leaving him frustrated. He didn't want to answer it but Carly nodded at him. He pressed the green button, not even bothering to see who it was.

"Hello..."

"Freddie?" she sobbed.

"Shelby?" he called out in a whisper.

He turned away from Carly. She did the same and wept silently.

"Hey, stop crying." she heard him speak. "Shelby, please... Tell me what happened." He ran his fingers through his hair and started pacing back and forth. "Okay, don't cry. Please. I'm coming... It will be okay. I promise."

Freddie dropped the call. "Carly?"

She wiped the tears immediately before turning back to him. His eyes were sad and they were apologizing for him. "You should go. She needs you."

"I'll take you home first."

She nodded.

* * *

The lights were out and the place was empty. Freddie walked himself in and it wasn't long when he found her sitting alone on one of the corners of the ring inside the gym where she spent most of her time training. She was curled into a ball and if he wasn't mistaken, she was shaking.

Freddie ran towards her as fast as he could and knelt in front of her. Her hair was all over and her face was on her knees. She was sobbing silently and it worried him. She never looked so vulnerable to him than that moment.

"Shelby..." he touched her arm softly. "What happened?"

Somehow, she found strength in his voice. She threw her arms around him and buried her face on the crook of his neck. He held her small frame tightly and whispered soothing words in her ear until she calmed down.

"Grammy had a stroke." she finally revealed when she got the ability to speak clearly again after crying for almost an hour.

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "Grammy will be okay. I promise you. She's a fighter, like her granddaughter."

Shelby tilted her head and kissed him. "Please don't ever leave me. I don't know what I'll do without you."

Freddie felt like she just punched him in the gut. He closed his eyes and opened them again when he saw her face. She was everywhere... In his mind, in his heart. But she shouldn't be.

Carly.

"I won't, Shelby." he whispered. "I won't."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry! I can't seem to help myself! And I don't want this story to end soon so...**

**:(  
**


	33. Chapter 33

Sam was worried when Carly arrived from her 'date' with Freddie the night before. Her eyes were heavy, her shoulders were slumped, and the usual glow she had in her that everybody loved was missing. Carly never spoke a word either and when Sam asked where Freddie was and how was their night, her only reply was Shelby's name before she lazily dragged herself up the stairs. The next thing Sam knew, she heard the water running.

She was hurting for her best friend and she couldn't take it. She needed to talk to him, and maybe, possibly, beat him up until he comes to his senses. But seeing Freddie broken would probably hurt Carly more so she decided she'd just stick to knowing what happened and then taking things from there.

After making sure that Carly was soundlessly sleeping in her bedroom, Sam sneaked out of the apartment and knocked on the door across the hall. She tried her best to patiently wait for him to answer it but a few minutes had passed and there was still no response from the other side of the room.

Groaning audibly, she unclasped one of the hairpins she was wearing and proceeded to do the work, silently hoping that she still knew how to do it. It had been so long since she practiced the art of lock-picking since Carly made her promise not to do anything mischievous ever again.

"Sam! What are you doing?"

She looked up to see him standing behind her. "Picking your lock."

"And may I know why?" he asked and motioned for her to step aside so he could finish what she was doing.

"I want to talk to you." she replied simply. "About Carly."

He led her inside and both of them sat heavily on the couch. They looked down simultaneously, burning holes on his carpet. Freddie waited for her to say something but it seemed like she didn't know where to start either.

"So what happened last night?"

He let out a heavy breath and leaned back, looking at the ceiling this time as he remembered everything about the night before- her smile, the way they held each other's hands, the look she had on her face as she made her wish, and the things he saw in her eyes that he didn't quite understand.

"Last night was amazing, Sam. I couldn't even describe how happy I was to be with her. You don't know how much I tried to stop myself from holding her, and telling her how alive she makes me feel, and... and kissing her..." He turned to look at Sam and the moment she locked eyes with him, she knew how much he meant every word.

Sam smiled faintly. "I know, kid. Did you tell her though?"

He heaved a heavy sigh. "I never had the chance. I wanted to. I was gonna. But then Shelby called and everything became so messed up. I didn't know what to do."

"What exactly happened with Shelby?" she pressed. "Did you break up with her?"

"I can't Sam." he shook his head. "Shelby needs me now. She called me up and she was crying. Her grandmother had a stroke last night and I was worried about her. I had to end the night with Carly even though I don't want to so I could be with my girlfriend."

For once, Sam didn't know what to say to him.

"I found her inside the gym and I've never seen her so... vulnerable." he continued. "I can't leave her, Sam. I can't hurt her."

"I'd do the same if I were you."

She put a hand on his shoulder to let him know that she understood. She knew how hard it was to choose between doing what's right and going after what makes you happy. Freddie was brave enough to choose one, and that alone made her respect him as a person even more.

Sam realized that she was too preoccupied with making sure that Carly was okay and happy that she didn't notice that her other best friend was having a down time too.

"But I love Carly. I'll always love Carly."

It wasn't one of those times when she would laugh at his face and tell him he's not good enough for Carly just like she always did when he was still puny and lovesick that it annoyed everyone so much. They weren't kids anymore and what he was feeling for Carly, it was something Sam couldn't put into words.

* * *

"Freddie!" Sam yelled and he winced at how loud her voice was. "Where are you? We gotta hold our positions before Carly comes back from the meeting! Hurry! Everybody's here already!"

He sighed. "Geez, woman! I'm just right across the hall! I'm coming! I wouldn't miss Carly's surprise party that I planned with you. I told you I'm just gonna change clothes. And will you please relax? Her meeting with one of your clients just ended. She sent me a text message." he continued proudly.

"Oh, did she?" Sam teased. "Anyway, stop being so cheesy and just get your butt in here now before I drag you out of there!"

He shook his head in disbelief before ending the call. They'd been planning the surprise party for almost one week with him sneaking to the shop whenever Carly was out to buy lunch or to meet with a client. Sam was the mastermind but it was him who did most of the work willingly. He wanted to give her the best birthday ever, even better than her sixteenth when her room got burnt and they had to renovate it.

After one last look at his reflection in the mirror, he grabbed his neatly wrapped gift for Carly and headed straight towards the door. He was humming a tune, smiling as he thought of how happy he could make his best friend on her special day. He could imagine the two of them hugging, laughing, eating, and just being plain Carly and Freddie. She'd thank him and he'd fall in love with her all over again.

But his smile vanished, his eyebrows furrowed in frown, and the purple package he was holding was dropped to the floor, probably ruining what was inside it. She was standing in front of him with her eyes all red, her hair messed up, and her cheeks filled with tears.

She reached for him eagerly and cried against his chest. He could feel her shaking, trembling as he circled his arms around her, waiting for her to calm down so she could tell him what was wrong.

"It's getting worse." she sobbed and he immediately understood what she was trying to say. "She's brought to the hospital. I need to go there, Freddie. I need to see her."

She looked up to him. His eyes were closed and she knew he was making a decision.

"Please, Freddie. Come with me. I don't... I... I need you with me. Please..."

The magic words had been said. It reminded him of someone, of the times when she used those same lines to him. He would always give in then. It was like what was happening at that moment. Only, it was a different person now.

The car key had been grabbed from the table beside the television and within five minutes, he found himself driving with her to Vancouver.

Freddie's mom had been telling him over and over that he shouldn't text while driving. He tried to resist it and focus on the road, listening to his girlfriend's soft whimper with her forehead against the window. But he couldn't bear not to let them know. Sam would kill him. Spencer would ask. Gibby and Wendy would be confused. Nattie would look for him. And Carly... she would expect.

He slowed down his speed, grabbed his phone from his pocket, and dialed Sam's number.

"Sam..." he called out frantically the moment she answered. He decided not to give her a chance to talk because he knew she'd just yell at him and he didn't want that. He didn't want Shelby to think that it was her fault he would miss Carly's birthday because it wasn't. "I can't make it. I'm off to Vancouver with Shelby. I'll explain everything when we get back. Tell her I'm sorry and please, make her happy."

He wanted to be the one to do that. He wanted to see her loving smile when she found out about the surprise. He wanted to feel her arms around him after he gave her his gift. He wanted a lot of things but none of those would come true.

"It's Carly's birthday, isn't it?" she asked softly. "You should go back. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Shelby looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears, and the only thing he could do was reach for her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

* * *

Carly was usually smart and suspicious when it comes to surprises. Either she'd bust the plan before it was even executed or she'd just play along and pretend that she knows nothing about it. But it was different with this one.

She just wasn't that thrilled about her birthday. It was just like an ordinary day for her despite the hints and the clues that they didn't mean to give away. The client she just met was actually Pete's best friend and his girl friend, pretending they would inquire the shop's services for their wedding reception. Almost everyone was involved in the great conspiracy and Sam and Freddie had never been more proud of themselves.

As she entered the apartment before lunchtime, she didn't even realize that the lights were off. Sluggishly, she flicked the switch open and she was greeted by an empty apartment. She thought Sam was probably out, maybe buying a gift for her or maybe she forgot about her birthday and went out on a date with Pete instead. It was possible since Sam was still snoring when Carly left for the meeting that morning.

She decided to go upstairs and lie down when she noticed a strange light coming from the previous iCarly studio. She didn't know why but excitement and anticipation started to build inside her. Quickly, she opened the door and the moment she stepped inside, colorful confetti fell from the ceiling and a loud chorus of 'Happy Birthday' was heard.

All of her favorite people were there, standing in front of her with goofy faces.

"Oh my God!" she cried. "I hate you guys!"

She hugged each and every one of them, Sam being the last to receive her appreciation. She wandered around, looking for a particular someone because there was no way he wouldn't be there. She continued looking for him but Sam was smart enough to immediately drag her towards the table filled with food to drift her attention to something else.

Carly was a great actress. She played it cool throughout the party when in fact, all she could think about was Freddie and why he wasn't there. She was aware that Sam knew what the deal was with the way she was paying extra attention to her, which nobody else noticed because it was her birthday anyway. Whenever she would drag Sam so they could talk alone, Sam would look for a reason to leave her questions hanging.

"Oh. Freddie is..." Sam looked down, thinking of what she should say next. "Hey Gibby! Don't you dare eat all those bacon balls! Leave some for Momma! And please put your shirt back on!"

"Carly, I'm sure Freddie didn't forget your birthday. Maybe..." and before she could finish, Pete was already standing beside her for the rescue.

The sun had already set when the party was over and everyone left one by one. Carly and Sam walked Spencer, Sasha, and baby Nattie to the door. The adorable little girl waved her hand and Spencer couldn't be more proud of his little daughter. Sasha kissed Carly and Sam goodbye, and as always, Spencer engulfed them both in a bear hug, holding Carly in his arms a little bit longer.

The moment the door closed, Carly turned to her best friend and crossed her arms against her chest.

"Happy birthday?" Sam said innocently.

"Where is he?" Carly asked. She wanted her question to be sharp but it came out soft instead.

Sam could only sigh and give her another hug. She knew she couldn't hide her the truth any longer and she would find out eventually so when they pulled apart, she told her what she knew.

"He's in Vancouver with Shelby. He was supposed to be here with us on this special day. He did most of the work and it was me and him who planned this surprise party for one whole week. After he picked up the cake this morning, he went home to take a shower and he never came back. He just called me up before you came home and he told me he's on his way to Vancouver."

She could only nod to show Sam she understood completely but the sadness printed upon her face wouldn't convince her best friend.

"Hey!" Sam called out. "It's your birthday! Cheer up, kid! You wanna go somewhere?"

Carly sat on the couch and smiled faintly. "I'm kind of tired." she reasoned. "You gave me the best party ever. I have no energy left."

"Me too." Sam flopped herself beside Carly. "You sure you're okay though? I'm sure Freddie wants to be here right now. He's just occupied with-"

"Shelby." Carly finished it for her. "He hasn't greeted me yet. No text message, no calls either."

For once, Sam didn't know what to say to make Carly feel better. She wanted Freddie to be there on her birthday and he just wasn't. Even though she said it was the best party ever, Sam knew that only Freddie can brighten up her best friend's special day.

"Hey, Sam? I'll be going out for a walk. Don't wait for me to come back just in case. I'll see you in the morning."

"Huh?" Sam raised her eyebrow. "I thought you're ti- nevermind."

Sam didn't get to finish what she wanted to say because Carly had already grabbed her coat before disappearing through the door.

It was unbelievably cold that night but Carly never once thought of going back to the apartment. She brought nothing with her except the coat she was wearing. At first, she didn't know where to go. She just let her feet take her anywhere.

When she came across the park where she spent one of her most unforgettable nights with Freddie, she entered immediately and went straight to the bridge.

She was looking at her reflection in the flowing water and what she saw was something she didn't expect. She looked totally different from the girl who used to do iCarly, who used to be funny and spontaneous and happy all the time no matter how awful things were. The sadness in her eyes was visible even in her blurry reflection and she didn't like it one bit.

Falling in love with Freddie was easy for her but he wasn't there to catch her this time. Apparently, no one told her that falling in love wasn't enough to guarantee the happiness everybody was seeking. Spencer was happily married to Sasha, Sam and Pete were undeniably in love, and Freddie and Shelby seemed inseparable at the moment.

She felt more alone that she ever did in her entire life.

"Carly?"

She wiped a lone tear from her cheek and turned around to face him.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hi guys. I know I said I'm on an indefinite hiatus but half of this chapter has been written for a long time so I decided to finish and post it up. Sorry I have to stop writing for a while and leave you guys hanging. A lot of things are happening right now and I need to fix them first. Don't worry. I'll get back to this and finish it eventually. I just don't know when.**

**Thanks for the support! :) I really, really appreciate it.  
**


	34. Chapter 34

"Oh." She sighed, not bothering to hide her disappointment. She nodded at him before turning away to look far ahead. "Hi Nate."

He almost took a step forward, wanting to prolong the conversation which he felt she wanted to end at the moment but he stopped himself. Irritating her with his _determination _to win her trust back wasn't probably a good idea but he couldn't make himself leave with the way her eyes looked tonight.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's my birthday and he totally forgot about it." She mumbled angrily, forgetting that she wasn't talking to herself anymore.

When she realized Pete was in front of her, she smiled at him and wished that he didn't hear anything she just said or else, she'd die of embarrassment. She just muttered some angry, incomprehensible words in front of a cute guy whom she didn't really care about because her mind was too preoccupied with Freddie and how he seemed to have forgotten that it was her birthday.

"It's your birthday?" Nate asked again, hearing just the first part of what she had said.

"Oh, you heard that." she chuckled nervously. "Well, yeah. It's my birthday."

"Eighteenth?" he smirked, hoping to see that familiar smile again. And it worked. Carly didn't just smile for him, she giggled. And he suddenly felt disappointed at himself that he didn't have something to give her for her special day. If he just knew then, he'd have prepared for it.

"Twenty-fourth actually." she corrected.

They both laughed softly and after quite some time, the sound died. Carly was looking down at the water beneath her again, not knowing how to tell Nate that she wanted to be alone. Nate, on the other hand, was figuring out how to tell her some things he wanted to.

"Carly..." he breathed her name and she turned to him. "Listen. I'm sorry about what happened to the restaurant. I'm not even going to force you to believe me. I just... I don't know. I screwed up and I really want to... be your friend."

She didn't know why but her face softened and all of a sudden, she found herself believing him. "Nate. It's okay. I guess I over-reacted that night."

"Totally." he joked and when she raised an eyebrow, he knew that it was going to be a wonderful night.

* * *

"Shelby, I think you should rest. You've been here all day." Freddie put a hand on her shoulder and watched her stare at the gray-haired woman lying on the hospital bed. The last time he'd seen her grandmother was during Carly and Shelby's exhibition fight. She looked totally different. Definitely older. And weaker.

Shelby held his hand and looked up to him. "Thanks, Freddie."

"For what?" he smiled faintly.

"You've been there for me since the beginning. Thank you for not leaving me." For the first time, he saw her smile again. But he should have known it wouldn't last that long. There had been no improvement since they both got there hours ago. The doctor said she was okay though, completely out of danger.

"That's what boyfriends do, right?" he tried so hard to make her smile again but she just wouldn't. "I'm going to get us something to eat. You want anything?"

Shelby shook her head and stood up. "I'll go. I have to ask the doctor something anyway."

"You want me to come with you?" he offered nicely.

"Just call me when something's up." she glanced back at her grandmother before giving him a peck on the lips and heading out quietly.

Freddie watched her and as soon as the door was closed, he took Shelby's seat and decided to call Carly. All the drama made him forget that he hadn't talked to her yet and that only meant one thing. She was mad at him. He was certain about it.

Carly's phone was ringing but she wasn't answering. Freddie never gave up. Even if she wanted to rip his head off, she would answer her phone and yell at him because that was who she is and that was just one of the things he loved about her. She would scream until she was too tired and the only thing left for her to do was forgive him and say how much she misses him.

He was currently on his seventh call when he saw grammy tap her finger lightly on the white fabric. He waited patiently, eyes focused on her, and when she finally fluttered her eyes open, he found himself bringing his phone down from his ear.

"Sh... Shelby? I-is that you?" She breathed heavily for the first few minutes before rolling her eyes sidewards.

He straightened himself up. "No, Ma'am. It's Freddie."

* * *

"Wow!"

It was the only word that came out of her lips upon seeing where he had brought her. She wasn't supposed to go with him because she didn't know if she should trust him again. But she wanted to and she was glad she gave him another chance.

"I'm glad you like it."

He parked his car outside a tall black gate that never reflected what was inside. She thought it was scary at first but after taking a few steps, she found herself admiring what was in front of her.

"Are you kidding?" she turned around and greeted him with a wide smile. "I love it! It's amazing!"

It was a hidden garden, almost about a hectare in area. It was filled with different kinds of flowers in the most amazing way. A fountain was standing in the middle, giving the place a certain glow, the flow of the water contradicting the silence. An oval white gazebo was located at the right side, its supports covered with vines. Not far from it was a swing surrounded with daisies and roses of different colors.

She started wandering around, feeling everything she could touch and giggling to herself. Nate was standing behind her the whole time, following her every movement and watching her with infinite admiration with a satisfied smile on his face.

"How did you find this place?" she asked, turning to him again with a lavender tulip in hand. "Oh, wait. I can't do that, can't I? I'm sorry. I can't seem to help myself." she apologized shyly.

He chuckled. "It's alright, Carly. You can take anything you want as long as you leave the fountain where it's standing. You can't take the swing too although I might let you bring home the gazebo if you like."

It was corny. She wanted to say it but she found herself laughing at how silly he was being.

"Yeah, right. But you haven't answered my question yet."

"Oh."

They started walking around, side by side this time, as he told her the story.

"My dad's a landscape architect. He used to build places like these back then. When he met my mom, according to his story, he bought this little piece of land and turned it into something he thought she would really, really love. This was where he proposed to Mom and when I was a kid, they used to bring me here a lot. My mom's crazy about this place." he finished.

"Well, who wouldn't be?" Carly replied honestly.

"Right." he dismissed, chuckling lightly. "Honestly, I can see her in you. She's extremely crazy about flowers. Our house was always filled with them."

"Well, I love flowers!" she stated obviously, picking a daisy this time on their way to the swing. "Even though I see them everyday, I can't get enough of them. They're really beautiful, something you'll never get tired of."

Carly then skipped towards the swing, leaving Nate wondering about what he could to do always see her that happy. It was like she was describing herself there because to him, she was beautiful, someone he'll never ever get tired of.

What he didn't know was there was another man who thought of her the same.

* * *

Grammy went back to sleep before Freddie even had the chance to call Shelby up who came back minutes later with hospital food. She still couldn't believe he missed her grandmother regaining consciousness but she was happy enough that she woke up and she believed that was a good sign.

"Go to sleep, Shelby. I promise I'll wake you up this time when grammy opens her eyes again."

This time, she didn't hold back. She suddenly felt tired. "You promise?"

"I do." he replied seriously. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I guess I'm not like Carly who could text a whole paragraph in a minute or dial a number before you know it."

Shelby smiled at him, knowing how much he was missing his best friend. She found it funny, how people could talk about someone they're not even together with. Usually, she would feel a little bit of jealousy but knowing that Freddie even dared to miss Carly's birthday to stand by her put her mind to ease.

"Goodnight, Freddie." she murmured as she closed her eyes to feel Freddie's lips on her forehead.

He watched her lie down on the couch adjacent to the white wall. For some reason, he couldn't make himself sleep that night. He was sure it wasn't because he was supposed to wait for grammy to wake up again. Maybe, it was because he was waiting for someone whom he was very much worried about. Someone who had been the center of his world for as long as he could remember.

Freddie found himself still staring at his phone after an hour had passed since Shelby fell asleep. It was almost midnight and Carly's birthday was almost over. He felt bad and his guilt was becoming too unbearable that he didn't notice the small movements coming from the bed.

"F-Fre..."

He was on the verge of running towards his girlfriend to wake her up but the old lady gathered up her strength to tell him no. He hesitated at first, remembering his promise, but he found herself sitting again as a growl of protest escaped grammy's lips.

"Let her rest." she mumbled weakly.

Freddie nodded awkwardly. "Do you need something? Can I get you anything, Ma'am?" he asked politely.

"Yes."

He stood up again, ready to do whatever her request was.

"Just one thing, son." he listened carefully. "Take care of my Shelby. Make her happy."

Freddie could only close his eyes and nod again. "I will."

Just in time, Shelby woke up from her slumber upon hearing the quiet conversation between two of the most important people to her. She immediately stood beside Freddie, rubbing the sleep off her eyes to make sure she was wide awake. When she saw her grammy smile at her, she seemed to have forgotten for a minute that she was still weak for she launched herself onto her.

Freddie thought it was his cue to leave.

* * *

He lay on the bed inside the guest room of Shelby's home in Vancouver, staring at the ceiling for what seemed like forever. Her Uncle insisted that the couple should rest and it was his turn to spend the night with grammy. Shelby was in her room, probably sleeping the night away.

Groaning audibly, he sat up and grabbed his phone again. He'd at least try one last time to call her and if she wouldn't answer, then he'd give up. Dialing her number, he heaved a heavy sigh before listening to another endless set of ringing.

He waited like it wasn't what he was doing all night. "Please, pick up. Pick up. Pick up."

She didn't.

The ringing stopped, only to be followed by a dial tone. She wasn't answering the call and he couldn't do anything about it. If only he could leave Vancouver and return to Seattle to know what was up. If only he could break a heart just so he could mend hers. If only...

He lay down again and forced himself to sleep.

But then his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

_Well, my girl's in the next room_  
_Sometimes I wish she was you_  
_I guess we never really moved on_

"I was calling you all night." he stated as if she didn't notice that her phone had tons of missed calls and unopened messages when she got home from the garden.

"Sorry." she breathed and he pressed his phone harder into his ear to hear her voice clearly. "I took a walk outside and left my phone in the apartment. I didn't know you were going to call twenty-six times." she tried to cheer both of them up but she may have failed.

"I was worried." he whispered sincerely. "I.. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to celebrate with you. I really wanted to, you know that. But then..."

It was enough for Carly to know that he wanted to be with her. "Freddie..."

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name_  
_It sounds so sweet_  
_Coming from the lips of an angel_  
_Hearing those words it makes me weak_

"I'll make it up to you." he promised.

She smiled. "When are you coming back?"

"When do you want me to come back?" he asked smartly simply because he didn't exactly know when Shelby would agree to leave her grammy.

She giggled. "Now. You still haven't given me your gift, you know."

"That can be arranged." he grinned. "I'll be knocking on your door in exactly two hours."

Carly sighed. "I wish."

"I do too."

_And I never wanna say goodbye_  
_But girl you make it hard to be faithful_  
_With the lips of an angel_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Italicized words: LIPS OF AN ANGEL by HINDER  
**

**I know it's getting dragging now. I can feel it too but I just can't drop Shelby and Nate and have those two stubborn monkeys get together after everything that happened. That would be horrible to read. lol If you guys want, I can post THAT certain chapter and skip most of the story. *wink* I'm just kidding. But yeah, it's finished and I'm quite happy on how it turned out.  
**

**Next chapter would be pretty interesting... I wish.**

**I'll shut up now. :|  
**

**Hope you all had an amazing holiday! 2011's almost here! :-)  
**


	35. Chapter 35

"So you can't do something about my mom's boobs?" Sam asked Nate inappropriately as he stopped by the flower shop at lunch time to see Carly. "Just name your price."

He shook his head and laughed. "No. Sorry."

"Dang it!"

Carly was on the phone talking to her dad and as soon as the call ended, she walked up to Sam and Nate, giving her best friend a glare. "Sam, Nate's a pediatrician. How the hell could he fix your mom's… you know?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Survival 101." She shrugged, making Nate laugh and Carly roll her eyes before leaving the two alone to give them privacy. "Hey Gibbs! Do you know any surgeon?"

"Sorry about that." Carly apologized shyly to Nate as soon as Sam was out of sight.

"It's cool." He replied, smiling at how cute she was when blushing. "Sam amuses me. I've never met anyone like her."

She narrowed her eyes at him and laughed. "Hands off, mister! Pete will kill you."

Nate raised his hands up to surrender playfully. "Hey, no worries! There's only one person who makes me smile more than Sam does." He fixed his gaze upon her eyes to let her know that he was referring to none other than her, and he really meant what he just said.

Before Carly could answer something back, the shop's door opened and in came Shelby and Freddie, who looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep. The bags under his eyes were visible and his hair was a little bit messy, something Carly noticed easily.

"Hi." Shelby greeted and Carly went up to her to greet her back with a hug, leaving Nate at the counter.

Thinking he owed Sam an apology for ditching Carly's surprise birthday party, Freddie tilted his head to look for Sam. Unfortunately, the blonde was nowhere in sight and he saw someone he didn't really want to see instead. His brows quickly furrowed in frown as he looked at him.

"I'm sorry I made Freddie miss your birthday. If I had known, I wouldn't have dragged him to Vancouver with me." Shelby apologized as Freddie stood beside her so he could clearly see Carly and ignore the guy he was starting to despise.

Carly nodded reassuringly and smiled at her friend. "It's okay. Freddie knows his priorities well." She shot Freddie a mischievous look before continuing. "Anyway, how's grammy doing?"

"She's fine now." Shelby answered happily. "Thank God!"

"That's really good to hear." Carly replied sincerely.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the reason why we stopped by in the first place. Freddie and I want to take you out for a birthday dinner tonight if you want since we weren't able to spend the day with you. What do you think?"

Carly looked at Freddie again and seeing him smile at her made up her mind. "That's so nice of you but it's okay." She felt that she would just be an accessory to them if she ever agreed but truth was, she could never bring herself to see him with somebody else even if they were going out for weeks.

"Carly…" he pleaded with his eyes. "We won't take no for answer."

Both Freddie and Shelby's eyes were hopeful and the look they were giving her was almost enough to change her mind. Luckily, Sam approached them just in time which gave Shelby an idea.

"Sam can come tonight too! Please, Carly? It would mean so much to me. The guilt's eating me alive." Shelby stated dramatically before looking at Carly with hopeful eyes. "Freddie's been restless while he was driving and I think we both know the reason for that."

Carly sighed in defeat and smiled. "Okay. I'll see you guys tonight."

Shelby and Freddie left as soon as Carly agreed which gave Sam the opportunity to question her best friend's decision. She was kind of pissed that she had to cancel her date with Pete tonight to go to a fancy dinner with Frednubs and Ms. Marx, as she said it.

"Can I say sorry?" Carly asked. "I didn't know you guys have a plan for tonight."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Eh, it's not your fault. Those two were persistent enough. I'll just take Pete with us tonight. That way, Freddie would have to pay for more and I get to have a little fun!" she smirked at her little idea.

"Great! Thanks Sam. So now it's Freddie and Shelby, you and Pete, and me and no one! Just great!" Carly whined childishly as she buried her face in her hands.

Sam walked up to stand behind Carly. With a grin on her face, she gently squeezed Carly's shoulders and fixed her eyes on her subject. "Cupcake, the solution to your problem is standing two feet away from you."

Carly opened her eyes and looked at the direction Sam was pointing to her. When she realized what her best friend was trying to say, her eyes opened wide followed by an immediate shaking of her head. "No, no, no."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Sam grinned deviously before pushing Carly to the man who would be so happy to hear what Carly would say to him.

* * *

Freddie and Shelby were the firsts to arrive in the restaurant where they'd be treating Carly. He offered to pick her up on the way there so she wouldn't have to take a cab but since Sam and Pete were coming too, Carly refused his offer.

That was why the expression on Freddie's face when Sam and Pete arrived to the restaurant without any brunette in sight was unreadable. The first thing that came to his mind was she wouldn't come and that Sam had just outsmarted him again by paying for her and her boyfriend's dinner.

Pete pulled the seat for his girl and the moment they were both settled, Shelby asked the question Freddie had been dying to ask them.

"Where's Carly? Isn't she supposed to be with you?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Nate picked her up before Pete and I left the shop. They should be here soon. No worries."

"So she's with Nate?" Shelby asked happily. "That's great! I'm sensing we'll be having so much fun tonight. Besides, I think Nate really likes Carly. I saw how he looks at her at the shop this morning. I can't explain it but they really, I mean really, look good together."

"Yes!" Sam answered before turning to Freddie. "I think they do. Right, Freddo?"

"Right." He answered dryly before taking a sip of his wine and rolling his eyes on Sam when Shelby wasn't looking.

Minutes later, the much awaited pair arrived at the restaurant. Carly was wearing a blue summer dress and her hair was straightened out the way Freddie liked it. She didn't put any make-up except for a little blush on and lip gloss.

Freddie wanted to stand up and pull out her seat but knowing that it wasn't his job stopped him from doing so. He couldn't help it, she was a indeed a head-turner that night making him loathe Nate even more than he currently did.

Carly sat between Nate and Pete while Freddie sat across her and in between Sam and Shelby. No one seemed to notice how the two of them couldn't look straight into each other's eyes. Sam and Pete were busy playing thumb war, Nate was busy looking at the menu and Shelby was still thinking about her grandmother.

To both of them, this would be a long night.

"Carly, look at this." Nate leaned sidewards towards Carly to show her something from the menu he was holding. "What do you think? I heard it's good."

She looked at him and giggled. "Well, you should definitely tell that to Sam. She loves her ribs."

It was kind of ironic for Freddie to feel so uncomfortable looking at Carly and Nate being the opposite around each other. It looked like they were having a good time and the night wasn't even starting yet. He saw the same thing Shelby saw at the shop that morning, how Nate looked at his girl and how Carly laughed at the silliest things he was saying. It was all too familiar to him.

Then, he realized that they used to be that happy before. Carly and him.

"Hey." Shelby looked at him and rubbed his arms slowly. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, lacing their fingers together. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"I'll give you a massage when we get home tonight." Shelby smiled sweetly at him and he smiled back.

Sam was rolling her eyes beside him and Pete was chuckling at how adorable his girlfriend looked while teasing Freddie. Nate was talking to the waiter about his and Carly's order while she looked at them with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Sounds good." Freddie replied and knowing full well that Carly was staring at them, he gave Shelby a quick peck on the lips.

Carly's eyes narrowed before they turned sad. She wanted to yell 'Foul!' at him for doing that in front of her but she couldn't because she saw how happy Shelby was with Freddie.

"I'm going to the washroom." Carly stood up immediately and left, leaving the remaining five confused.

"Stop it, love birds." Sam scolded playfully to shift the attention from Carly. "And don't push it too far, Fredward. You're lucky Shelby's brave enough to go out in public with you. If I were her, I'd kick you to the North Pole the moment you asked me to go out with you."

Freddie smirked. "If you were her, I would've never asked you to go out with me in the first place!"

"Guys, guys." Shelby chuckled, clearly amused at how some things never seemed to change. "Are you always like this?"

Pete rolled his eyes. "Oh Shelby... You have no idea."

"That's me and Freddie!" Sam said proudly as she not-so-gently and not-so-accidentally pushed Freddie's shoulder just when he was taking another sip of his red wine to take his mind off Carly. The drink spilled, causing Freddie to jump from his seat.

He groaned when he noticed the red stain on his light blue polo-shirt. "Now look what you did, Sam!"

Shelby stood up too with a napkin in her hand. She desperately tried to wipe the remnants of the liquid off him. "I'm sure Sam didn't mean to. Here, let me."

"Thanks." he mumbled, letting his girlfriend do the work. It wasn't working though because he was feeling very sticky as his shirt was being glued to his body. "It won't come off."

Sam was getting irritated at how slow he was being. "Just go to the bathroom. You're making a scene here!"

Freddie glared at her. "You don't tell me what..." when she winked, he continued "Fine! I hope water does the trick."

He walked away quickly, silently wishing to run into Carly so Sam's classic act wouldn't go to waste. The washroom was a little bit far from the table where they were seating and he was quite thankful that if ever he gets to corner Carly, the rest of the guys would never see them.

And so he leaned against the wall and waited for her to come out.

Carly took a deep breath as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. If she could have her way, she wouldn't come back to that table just so she could witness how Freddie and Shelby were madly in love with each other. She considered faking a headache but Sam would know she was lying.

"I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this dinner." she mumbled to herself. "What the heck! Might as well get this thing over with."

She smiled sweetly at the old lady who was staring at her like she was nuts before heading out only to see him standing just outside the men's room. It looked like he had no intentions of going inside. Since he was looking at his shoes, she covered her face with her hair and walked fast.

"Carly! Wait!"

She abruptly stopped and fixed a smile before turning back. "Oh, I didn't notice you were there." Her eyes shifted to his toned chest which was almost popping out because of his soaked shirt. "What happened to you?"

"Sam." he explained and she nodded. "Can we talk?"

Her eyes widened. "Here? Now?"

He took a step closer to her and before she could take a step back, he held her hand and pulled her towards him. "Yeah. Here. Now."

She leaned helplessly against the wall like a prisoner as he stood in front of her, his hands both inside the pockets of his jeans. He was staring at her like she belonged to him, as if his stare alone could make her his forever.

"Stop staring at me like that." she hissed, still avoiding eye contact with him.

"Like what?" he questioned.

She groaned. "Like I did something wrong... like I'm a criminal and you're there to make me admit I've killed someone."

He sighed, pulled out his hands from his pocket, and strode quickly towards her until their faces were only inches apart. He put one of his hands on the wall, afraid that he'd lost his balance anytime with how close they were. If that would happen, his lips would accurately land on hers and no matter how much he desired for that to happen, he wouldn't want to make things more complicated than they already were.

Her heart started beating faster as their eyes locked. She couldn't find the strength to push him away from her even though that was what her mind was telling her. Instead, she just whispered. "Too close."

Freddie ignored her. "Why did you bring Nate with you?"

She blinked. Was he jealous? She kept it cool. "Why? Is there something wrong with that?"

"Yes!" he declared. "Are you dating him? Were you with him on the night of your birthday that's why you weren't answering any of my calls? I was so worried about you that I could die only to find out that you were with him? Wow!"

She raised an eyebrow and shot back cleverly. "What is it to you? Stop acting like a jealous boyfriend, Freddie!"

He detached himself from her and she breathed for the first time. Throwing his arms in the air, he laughed bitterly. "Jealous? Boyfriend? I'm your best friend, Carly! I'm just trying to protect you!"

"From Nate?" she asked back. "You don't even know the person! He's not Brad! And have you ever thought that maybe I don't want to be protected from him? He's a great guy, Freddie and I don't think I should even convince you to give him a chance because it's none of your business and it will never be your business!"

"It's none of my business? Fine! But don't you come crying to me when another waitress comes over to our table, kisses him on the cheek, and then tells us how she and Nate should date again!" he yelled out of frustration, completely forgetting one important detail.

"Don't worry!" she yelled back. "I'm not going to run to you because that's never going to... wait a minute! How did you know about that incident? I never told you that story!"

He almost smacked himself in the head. "I uh... Sam told me."

"Nice try!" she put her hands on her hips and he just knew that it was going to turn ugly. "I never told Sam either!"

Instead of apologizing, he had decided to spare Sam and explain himself. "I did that for your own good!"

"Leave me alone, Freddie!" her voice wasn't that loud anymore but she said it seriously. "I never said anything when you started going out with Shelby!"

She turned to leave without waiting for his reply. But before she could disappear from his line of sight, she again faced him and walked towards him. Freddie didn't know what was up and why she came back. He watched her close the distance between them, his pulse raising uncontrollably.

She tiptoed so that she was almost as tall as him and he couldn't believe she was going to kiss him!

"This is for what you did." she whispered seductively in his ear before bringing her face in front of his again.

He couldn't breathe and he couldn't think straight. The words Shelby and girlfriend were completely forgotten as he stared at her with her eyes closed and her lips... her supple lips pursed into a half smile. It was going to happen soon and he suddenly prayed that the kiss would happen before he'd pass out. He could smell her lip gloss and it was making him dizzy. He thought he needed to grip something for support.

And then she did it.

She stomped on his foot so hard he thought he might not be able to walk back to their table.

Sam didn't know what to think of Carly's smile as she approached them. It was either the talk with Freddie went great or it went the exact opposite of it.

A good five minutes after Carly arrived, Freddie came back. Slightly limping.

Shelby stood up to help him take his seat. Sam didn't miss Carly's devious grin as Freddie let out grunts once in a while.

"What happened to you?" Shelby asked worriedly.

He shot a dirty look at Carly before he explained. "Well, there was this annoying dude inside the bathroom. I was just trying to help her... him fix the uhm... the tissue holder because it looked like it was going to fall and land on his feet when he stomped on my foot really hard."

"Lame." Carly whispered and everyone turned to look at her. "I mean, that dude's lame for doing that to you and I can totally feel your pain. I ran into this girl on my way to the bathroom and she kept on whining about things she shouldn't put his... her nose on. It's so annoying."

Everyone, except for Freddie who was shooting daggers at her for the first time, was still looking at her like she was crazy until Nate spoke up. "That's... weird. Anyway, shall we eat?"

"Finally!" Sam exclaimed although by the way her monkeys were acting, she was positive that something wasn't right.

While Shelby and Nate were busy engaging in light conversation about each other's profession, Carly and Freddie were also busy rolling their eyes and sticking out tongues at each other. They didn't even bother to hide their hatred to Sam and Pete as the couple were just watching them with confusion printed upon their faces.

"I am not paying for his dinner." Freddie mouthed.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Nyeh."

"I hate you, Carly."

She kicked him under the table before she mouthed "I hate you more."

"Ow!" he winced and everyone looked at him. He tried to hide the pain as he thought of an alibi. "This salad tastes awful."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Happy New Year! :-)  
**


	36. Chapter 36

Pride.

For the past years, Freddie Benson had nothing to feel but this. He was proud of himself for doing the right thing. If that means staying with the girl who loves him and shows him this and takes care of him and especially, the most important part for him after that night, the girl who never did and never will stomp on his foot, then yes.

Of course, he still managed to be friends with the girl who did it a year ago on a triple date he can barely even remember. Shelby had to drive him home because his foot was too sore. He was waiting for Carly through his peephole but she never came home that night. He bitterly thought that she was with Nate until morning.

Fortunately, everything went back to normal as time passed by except for the fact that Sam bought a truck and that picking up Carly and driving her to work with the car they both owned wasn't his job anymore that if Cukey weren't a car and it had feelings, it would be so hurt. He started treating Carly the way he would treat Wendy and she started treating him the way she would treat Gibby.

Or maybe Gibby was more of a friend to Carly than him.

It didn't matter to Freddie now. He was perfectly happy. 75% was because of Shelby, his girlfriend for years now and the remaining 25% was because Carly seemed to be happy with her life too. Freddie just didn't want to admit that she was happy because she and Nate were together now.

Proposing to Shelby Marx was a very hard decision for him. He used to stay up all night just to think about it, the pros and cons of marrying someone who spends most of her time travelling around the country for her career, what her mom would say about her only son getting married, the things Sam might do to him if she finds out it wasn't Carly he was marrying, and how Carly would feel that the pact they made wouldn't have any sense anymore.

It was that one night when he finally made up his mind about it.

Freddie was drinking all by himself inside his apartment when he heard Carly and Nate giggling outside. It was 2 in the morning for goodness sake and he wasn't very happy about it not because they could've woken him up if he was already in bed but because Carly was out with a guy past midnight.

He tried to stop himself from going to his peephole but he knew he really wanted to. He just really wished he didn't so he wouldn't see Carly and Nate, her hands around his neck and her lips on his. He couldn't move even if he wanted to run away and not see them like that because he still wished things weren't as messed up and it was him she was locking lips with.

Freddie looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He was still debating whether Carly knew he was watching them that's why she kissed him or she didn't care about what he would think anymore.

"_Shelby Marx… Will you marry me?"_

"_Shelby, I want you to be my wife."_

"_Marry me, Shelby. Your grammy will be so happy."_

"_Shelby… We've been dating for years now and I thought maybe we could… you know, get married? Because Carly seems so happy with Nate now and I need to forget about her so… Will you?_

Why on earth would he say that?

* * *

He didn't even notice that she had given him a bottle of beer because he was too busy staring at her. The scent of her long blonde curls, flying as she was dancing to the music they were both blasting, was filling his nose and he couldn't have been any happier than spending the night with Sam on a top of a hill with a view of the city beneath them.

They were resting on the hood of his car with a box of pizza that he had bought for her because Sam was still crazy about meat and cheese and he loved the fact that the only thing that could stand between them was bacon. Or ham.

She lets out a long sigh. "I tried, Pete."

Knowing already what she was trying to say, he scooted close to her and just listened.

"Those monkeys are just so… Ugghhh! If Carly wasn't my best friend, I'd stick her pretty head in this box of Pizza until she realizes that Freddie still loves her despite all this Shelby madness! And Freddie! That nub! Don't even get me started about him. He's just so… I don't know. He's like a boy… without balls. He's become a lunatic like his mom!" she smiles. "Like that's even possible because Marissa Benson is a wacko."

"Sam…" he smiles.

"I just wish love potions really do exist." She looks at him and realizes that trimming his hair was the best decision he's ever made. "You understand what I'm saying?"

Pete smiles again, looks down, takes her hand, and then looks at her. "Maybe you should stop worrying about Carly and Freddie. You… we can't always decide for them."

"But we can help."

"Yes, Sam. And I'm with you on this. I'll always be with you."

"So you agree Freddie's a lunatic?" she grins.

"For not going after what he really wants? Yes." He laughs.

"Why the chizz are you laughing?"

"Because I'd be pretty damned too if I didn't go after what I want or who I want for that matter." He gives her a beaming smile that was maybe the only thing in the world except for food that could make the mighty Sam Puckett blush wildly.

"Stop it." She had some edge on her voice but Pete knew exactly where to strike her.

After giving her a light kiss, hearing her complain about it being so quick, and receiving a not-so-gentle push from Sam, he looked around to find a little something to improvise for whatever it was he was about to do.

As if an idea just hit him, he took something out from his pocket and stuck out his tongue while Sam was busy texting Carly that she wouldn't be home for dinner. When he finally had her full attention, he reached out for her hand and whispered her name.

"Sam… You know I'm scared because you might kill me with your own bare hands but I'll be more scared if I don't find the courage to do this." He sighed, looked at her in the eye to check if she was mad and when he saw that there was only shock in her eyes, he continued, "You're very special… to me. I've never met someone and I know I'll never meet someone like you. Ever. You have the shortest temper, you get mad easily, you eat like your whole life depends on it and you…"

"What?" Sam rolled her eyes. "Thanks, baby. That's so sweet of you."

"I know." He shows her his dimples. "Sam, what I'm trying to say is… Will you…"

She snatched her hand away and looked at him like he was mad. "Are you trying to… propose?"

"No!" he was sweating. "I mean, yes. But no. It's not what you think."

This was one of those times when Sam would let him talk and explain himself. She, too, was scared of what he was going to say. She didn't know what or how to react.

"Sam, I don't have a ring with me." He tied the dental floss he took out from his pocket around her ring finger with trembling hands. "It's not a proposal. Sort of. It's a promise. I know things are pretty heavy between Carly and Freddie right now and because you're their best friend, it's your job to make them realize how stupid they are for not going after who they really love. But see, I'm not stupid. That's why I'm doing this."

For once, she still wasn't talking.

"I want you, Sam. Promise me that when it's over, when your monkeys get their happy ending, we will too."

She smiled at him and examined the pseudo ring she was wearing now. "You know you still have to replace this."

"I will, Sam. When we're ready. I just want to make sure that you're not gonna escape from me, you know?"

"Well, I know you're one thing I wouldn't think of escaping from. You're not jail or juvie. You're a cute guy who carries floss and uses them when it matters."

* * *

He knew exactly that this was the only right thing to do. He felt like something or someone could still take her away from him even if they were together for almost a year now. He knew he made her happy and there was no doubt that she was all he ever wanted. His intentions were pure and he had never loved anyone other than her.

"Careful."

Nate guided her gracefully as they entered the familiar tall black gate. She was clinging onto him tightly as he held her hand, taking one step at a time to make sure she'll be alright.

"You know if you remove my blindfold you wouldn't have to worry about me tripping and ruining this pretty dress you bought me. It's too difficult to see with this covering my eyes." She complained, gesturing at the black piece of cloth he made her put on before entering his car back at the Bushwell Plaza parking lot.

Nate countered by pinching her nose. "That's the whole point of the blindfold thingy, silly."

"Thingy?" she teased and he let go of her. "Come back here, mister."

He stood behind her, whispered "We're here." in her ear and removed her blindfold slowly.

Carly blinked twice and just as her vision started to become clear again, dancing fireworks flew to the sky and illuminated the whole garden. She watched the show with enthusiasm, not really bothering to ask him why or how. The only thing in her head was how perfect the moment was. She was in a place she loved, surrounded with flowers, fireworks were up in the sky, and the man she liked was with her.

"Is this a coincidence?" she asked softly without taking her eyes off the sky. Somehow, her heart was telling her that she already knew the answer but she wanted to ask Nate anyway.

"It is if you want it to be." He smiled, watching her instead.

Nate knew the fireworks would stop eventually and when it did, he had to do what they came there for. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that he wanted this, more than anything else that's why even though he knew he was risking a lot with what he was about to do, he went for it and reminded himself that if he wouldn't ask, the answer would always be no. If he does, 50% chance of getting a 'yes' wasn't bad at all.

"I don't think it is." She giggled.

"Then it's not." He said seriously. "If fireworks could spell, I'd have it say your name. Or maybe 'Will you marry me?' if it's even possible."

Carly froze in her spot and consumed a few seconds to process what she just heard. She told herself that he was joking, it was the fireworks talking and it was silly because fireworks don't talk and she was being senseless again.

Slowly, Carly turned around to see that Nate was already on his knees, sweating despite the breeze of the night. He looked at her with hopeful eyes. She was afraid to meet them so she closed hers instead.

Instead of seeing the face of the guy who was kneeling before her, Freddie's face suddenly popped inside her head. He was smiling at her, the same smile he would always wear back then, the smile that she knew he would never give to anyone but her. Carly smiled and with this, a lone tear fell from her cheek. She knew what she had to do. The best decision wasn't the easiest one but she had to let him go.

When she opened her eyes, Nate bit his lower lip and waited. When Carly smiled at him, took his hand to help him stand, he knew that something was about to change.

* * *

"No."

He couldn't believe it. It felt like his ears were deceiving him.

"I'm sorry."

She really was. He wanted to ask her why because his brain couldn't find the answer he was looking for but he just looked down and remain silent to not let her see the hurt in his eyes. He didn't need to ask her to explain because he knew she would.

"I'm sorry, Freddie. I don't know what to say. I'm really sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry." There was anger in his voice. "I just want to know why."

"It's my career." She sobbed. "I know that if I get married, I wouldn't have the same opportunities coming my way. I've been in this industry for God knows how long and I love it. I love everything about it. If I stop now, I know something will be missing eventually. I can't quit. Not now."

He knew it was bullshit because he never asked her to quit what she loves to do.

"Freddie, my job requires me to travel a lot. There are times when I don't stay in one place for a day and I know that it's gonna be a problem eventually. You need someone who will take care of you, someone who waits for you from work every day, take care of you and pamper you. I can't do that if I'm away most of the time. I know I'm making one of the biggest mistakes of my life here. I know that it's gonna hurt badly. For both of us. Freddie, please remember that this isn't what I want. If only I could just…" she breathed heavily and let the tears flow. "I care for you. A lot. I love…"

"Go. Just leave me alone." He never looked at her. "GO!"

Shelby took her bag from the couch and left his apartment, left Freddie alone in the dining room.

A few seconds after she closed the door, he flipped the table, started throwing random things at the wall, and cried as he slipped to the floor. His ego was broken but his heart was worse. He thought he was over the rejections. He received a lot from Carly back then and each time was a blow to him. But Shelby saying no to his proposal was too much for him to handle.

"To tell you the truth, I would give up my career for you in a heartbeat. It's what I've wanted all along, Freddie. But not like this. Not when you're still in love with your best friend that you couldn't even give me your whole heart. I know I should have told you this but I was afraid that you might go and run away to her as soon as you realize yourself that it's Carly you want to spend the rest of your life with and not me. It will hurt so badly. It hurts now. I just couldn't stand it, knowing that whenever you look at me, it's her you're seeing. I love you."

She whispered to no one as she started her car and drove away from the place for the last time.

* * *

**Hi. No excuses this time. I just want to apologize for almost thinking of abandoning this. I'm sorry. **


	37. Chapter 37

She no longer was somebody's girlfriend.

"Saaaaaaaam!" she called out her best friend's name over and over until she came out of her room which used to belong to Spencer, her hair indicating that she was obviously sleeping soundly.

Sam absent-mindedly and sleepily patted her best friend in the head, telling her to go to bed and let her go back to sleep because it's almost two in the morning and they'd have to wake up early to open the flower shop.

Carly beamed and showed Sam her hand with the shining thingy she was now wearing.

But Sam already knew. Nate had practically talked to Sam a week before he was planning it as if he was asking Carly's best girl friend in the world for her hand. Of course he did talk to Spencer about it first but something told Nate that he would need Sam's approval if he was planning on proposing to Carly.

"I'm happy for 'ya, cupcake." Sam declared with only a smile, telling Carly otherwise but the embrace she and Sam shared was more than enough for her to know that Sam approves. "Real happy."

"Sam?" Carly called her out.

"I'm just sleepy." The blonde reasoned and Carly heaved a sigh of relief. "And I already know about it. Even Spencer knows."

"Oh. That's why you didn't sound surprised at all!" Carly laughed. "Well at least he has the decency to ask for my hand. That was romantic."

Sam nodded in agreement.

"Will you be my maid-of-honour, Sammy?" she batted her eyes even though she already knew the answer.

Sam laughed at how cute Carly was looking. "I'd be insulted if you ask someone else." Carly smiled preciously at her best friend but it changed instantly to an almost frown when Sam looked at her seriously. "Are you sure about this cupcake? Nate's a great guy but are you really happy? I hope you won't take this the wrong way because you're my best friend and I love you so much and I just want to know if you're one hundred percent sure about this. You know I'll always support you and stand by you whatever happens."

Carly's heart melted at Sam's words. She knew she was one of the few people Sam care about. They were practically sisters before they even hit puberty. But as much as she was overwhelmed with the love her best friend was showing her, Carly thought about her question.

Was she really sure about this? As in really, really, really sure?

"I'm happy, Sam." She finally answered with a smile. "Nate's good for me."

That was all Sam needed. "Good to know, Carls. But I swear that if he ever hurt you or make you cry or do something stupid, I'd kick him to the…"

Sam was cut-off by a loud thud coming from the hallway. Carly gasped as both girls turned to look at the door. Sam looked through the peephole to see what that was about. Carly didn't have the time to question her best friend about it because as soon as Sam looked, she was out of the door in no time, muttering angry words Carly couldn't understand.

"Sam?"

She followed her best friend and the sight in front of Freddie's door silenced her. Sam was kneeling on the ground as a drunk Freddie was slumped in front of her. His eyes were red and so were his ears which clearly indicated what he was doing because Carly knew very well alcohol's effect on Freddie's body. She stayed with him one time when they were in college because he had rashes all over his body when he went out to drink with his friends. The empty beer bottle he was holding was a very good clue too.

"Geez, Benson! What the hell did you do?" Sam exclaimed as she helped him stand while Carly watched in silence. "Where's your key?"

But Freddie was too drunk to answer. Instead, he just smiled sheepishly at Sam and laughed. Carly sighed, went inside her apartment to get her spare key to his.

Sam literally tossed him onto his couch as Carly followed them both. She was beginning to worry about Freddie. She knew something was wrong because Freddie promised her that he wouldn't drink again so Carly wouldn't have a hard time taking care of him after.

"If you can't control yourself, don't freaking drink!" Sam scolded. "It's two in the morning and you're lucky Carly and I are still awake to lift you up your ass!"

"Do you think he understands what you're saying?" Carly whispered. "I think he's sleepy."

"No, I don't think he understands because he's an idiot. What does he think of himself? Some bad boy who could handle too much beer in a night? You know he's still the mama's boy we used to be friends with, Carls." Sam explained. "We should head back and get some sleep. At least he's okay now. Or better."

Carly hesitated for a moment. "I think I'll stay with him tonight, Sam. You go and get yourself some sleep. I'll just make sure he's okay."

"I'm too tired to argue with you so, yeah. Whatever." Sam smiled at her. "Get some rest too, Carls. Don't tire yourself just because our stupid friend decided to become more stupid tonight."

Carly could only giggle as she hugged her friend. "Goodnight, Sam!"

As soon as Sam went back to their apartment, Carly sat down on the other end of the couch. She took a heavy breath and inhaled the smell of the alcohol now surrounding her.

"Freddie?" she whispered but there was no answer.

Carly began untying his shoelaces and removing them one by one, all the while looking at Freddie's sleeping face. She could see even in the dark her best friend's features that she had come to memorize after years of being with him.

Something was wrong. She was sure. She could see it in his face. He looked so… vulnerable and hurt. But it wasn't that important to Carly at the moment. She just wanted to be there for him as a friend and make sure that he wasn't alone when he needed someone to be there for him.

"Shelby…" he muttered in his sleep.

Carly's heart jumped as she heard him whisper his girlfriend's name. Even though she felt a slight pang in her chest, she scooted closer and knelt before him. She started stroking his hair.

"I'm here." She whispered. "I'm here, Freddie."

He opened his eyes slowly and Carly smiled faintly at him.

"Shelby…" he repeated. "I lo… I love her."

Carly closed her eyes for a while and let his words come through her. She knew she shouldn't feel this way. She knew that her heart wasn't supposed to jump when she heard him say Shelby's name. She knew she shouldn't feel like crying because it was hurting her to see him like this over another girl.

Carly knew all these things. But she didn't know that he was talking about a different _her. _Carly didn't know that Freddie, thinking the girl in front of him was Shelby, was saying that he was in love with someone else who wasn't his girl friend.

She didn't know.

His head was throbbing as he opened his eyes. He couldn't quite remember what happened the night before but it didn't take him that long to realize everything. He held his head for a while, asking himself if the things he was thinking at the moment had happened really happened because if they did, then he'd be real fucked up.

Freddie looked around him and sighed as he realized that he was in his apartment. At least he wasn't in prison or someone else's room. He remembered girls approaching him and flirting with him at the bar he went to the night before but he was too frustrated with the world to even care. In the end, they'd just leave him to be miserable alone.

As if all the hurt he was feeling was not enough, his heart sank as he saw the most precious thing in the world to him curled up in an uncomfortable position on one of his couches. Her eyes had dark circles around them, telling him that it was his fault she was like that.

He wanted so much to slap himself because he broke his promise. He knew he was a handful when he was drunk and he was sure that Carly stayed up most of the time to make sure he was okay.

Ignoring the pain his hangover was causing him, he silently brought himself in front of the girl he has always loved. She brushed off the hair covering her face and slowly gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Carls…" he whispered. "I'm sorry."

As if she heard him, Carly slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed them eagerly as she saw Freddie hovering on top of her.

"You're awake." She muttered.

Freddie could only smile faintly at her. He wanted so much to apologize endlessly to Carly but her fresh look in the morning still stunned him. He hasn't seen her like this since college days at Stanford and even though it was evident that she didn't have the best sleep, she was still breathtakingly beautiful to him.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise." Freddie looked down, suddenly ashamed of himself.

Carly stood up lazily and locked her best friend in a morning embrace that made him guiltier than he already was. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. He didn't deserve Carly's warm embrace after giving her such a hard time the night before. She should be mad at him.

"I was so worried last night. Please don't ever do that again." Carly pulled away to lock eyes with him. "Or at least tell me so I could be prepared. "

He was lost for words. Carly should be mad as hell at him right now because he broke his promise. She should be yelling at him for making her stay up and take care of him and sleep uncomfortably on his couch.

"You don't have to do that for me, Carly." he replied.

"I have to. You're important to me and I will always be there for you even if you don't need me. I want to be there for you as much as I want you to be there for me always. You're one of those people I'd love to be with me whenever I'm down."

"Thank you." He whispered. "I'm sorry for last night… I…" he stopped as he felt something hard as he reached for her hand.

Freddie's gaze travelled slowly from her eyes to her fingers.

And then he lost it.

"You're…"

"Engaged."

It took him a few seconds before it all registered in his brain. Carly's getting married. His Carly's getting married. To Nate. And he's alone. Alone. Because Shelby left him the same night Carly got engaged. Apparently, no one told him that he's not capable of being loved.

He let go of her hand and laughed bitterly, all his anger the night before coming back to him. As if his girlfriend leaving him after he proposed wasn't enough, the universe suddenly decided to make it worse by throwing him the most dreaded news he never wanted to hear ever.

Carly's getting married.

He looked into her eyes and suddenly, she felt scared. She tried so much to read them, to know what he's feeling so she would know the right words to say or the right thing to do. She wanted so much to help him and just be with him.

"Shelby left me." he declared with a bitter tone.

Carly was surprised. How could Shelby leave someone like him? After everything Freddie had done for her, she'd just leave? He was there when her grandmother was sick! He even missed Carly's party because he wanted to be with Shelby!

She couldn't understand. Any girl would be lucky to be loved by her best friend. She should know. She used to be the one he's in love with for the longest time, right? But then, Shelby came.

"I'm sorry…" was all she could say. "Freddie, I…"

He laughed again. "No, you're not. Because you're too damn busy getting engaged last night. Shelby left me after I proposed to her and here you are standing before me with this fancy engagement ring on your finger and… AAAAAAAH!" he just yelled in frustration.

"How was I supposed to know?" Carly yelled back. She wasn't sure if she was angry at him being angry at her or she was angry because he proposed to Shelby. But she wanted so much to take all the hurt from him right now. "Freddie I know it's hard for you and…"

"YOU DON'T!" he was now shouting at her. "You don't know! You're Carly Shay for crying out loud and everybody loves you! You don't freaking tell me you understand because you don't know, Carly! You don't know what I'm feeling right now! You don't know how it feels like not to be loved by someone who means the world to you! Sam doesn't know either and so does Spencer! Hell, maybe Gibby doesn't know too! But I know! I freaking know because the girl I love doesn't love me. Surprise, surprise!"

She was taken aback at how strong his feelings were for Shelby. The hurt she was feeling was confusing her and the least he could do was not to blame her for everything because he didn't know that him confessing about how much he loves Shelby and how she became Freddie's world was a blow to her. Carly had always known that Freddie used to be in love with her. But it wasn't like this. To Carly, it wasn't as much as he loved Shelby Marx.

But she still didn't get it. She didn't get that he wasn't talking about Shelby.

"Why are you mad at me?" she wanted to sound angry but it came out as a whisper. "Why are you yelling at me like it's my fault that she left you?"

He closed his eyes for a moment.

_Because you're getting married. Because I'm still in love with you. Because I will always be in love with you and you're leaving me. Because... _

When he opened his eyes, he stared at her. She saw nothing but hardness in his eyes.

"Just go."

Carly couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She couldn't believe what was happening. There was so much going on and both of them are hurt. She was crying loudly and all he wanted was to say sorry and hug her and never let her go. But he was too angry. At Carly. At Nate. At Shelby. At himself.

"Freddie…" she was pleading.

"GO!" He yelled at her, pointing to the door. "Just leave me! You're getting married God knows when so it's gonna happen anyway! Leave me just like everyone else did! Just go and be happy with Nate for all I care! Leave me alone!"

"Stop pushing me away!" she cried. "I won't leave you because I want to be here! I want to help you because you're my best friend and..."

The word best friend pushed Freddie farther.

"Didn't you hear me? I want you to leave!" Freddie yelled at her. "LEAVE! I don't need you!"

_But I need you._

Carly cried and cried as his words struck her like lightning. She knew he didn't mean what he just said. She wanted to stay. But she was too hurt to even look at him.

She sobbed and sobbed and wiped her tears with the back of his hand and turned away from him. The sight of Carly crying her eyes out like that was killing him. He wanted to go after her and stop her from leaving but the words were already thrown and he already hurt her enough. She gave him one last look, her eyes pleading for him to beg her to stay.

He could only watch her turn away.

I love you.

* * *

**A/N:**

**HEAVY CHAPTER, right?**

**I hope I made it worth the wait! :)**

** Thank you so much for reading and for staying with me even when I don't update for a very long time. The messages you guys are sending and the reviews make me want to cry. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. 3**

**2-3 chapters left! :(**


	38. Chapter 38

"Would you two make up already? I know he's said a lot of hurtful words and you both were emotionally unstable that time but I am really, really tired of you two not talking to each other and you making me your human walkie talkie or something!" Sam snapped at her best friend as Carly came into her room one night. "Do it yourself and stop dragging me into this! I know you used to do this when Freddie and I hated each other but we were kids then! We are adults now! You're even getting married so can we please be mature about this? Please talk to each other and let me sleep!"

Carly, if anything, was shocked. She knew it took a lot for Sam to be the one talking senses into her. She'd never received this kind of response from Sam ever.

"You're scolding me." She pouted. "You've never talked to me like that before."

Sam sat right up, looked at her best friend, and sighed heavily. She too was surprised at how she talked to Carly. "Cupcake… you know I… I didn't mean to shout. It's just that…" her heart sunk at the sight of her best friend wiping a lone tear on her cheek as she sniffed. "Are you crying, Carls?"

"No." Carly denied in a broken voice.

Sam threw her blanket and immediately ran towards her best friend who was standing by the door. She hugged her tight and soothed her back gently. "Don't cry, Carls. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was sleepy and tired and… no, no. Don't cry, please. You're the last person I wanted to see crying."

Carly sniffed again and every time, it made her want to cry too. Carly was just as vulnerable as she was and Sam hated that it was her who did it this time.

"Okay, I'll give the invitation to Freddie. Just stop crying."

Carly broke the hug all too sudden to Sam's surprise. "Yay! Thank you, Sam! That's why you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world!" She exited Sam's room and ran up the stairs as quickly as she can.

Sam stood there for a while, frozen as she held the invitation to Carly's wedding in her hand. It took her a good three seconds before she realized what just happened. Sam Puckett was tricked! Carly wasn't really crying after all. The brunette knew it was her weakness. She knew Sam couldn't stand it whenever she's sad and she used it to her advantage.

"Caarly Shaaaay! I hate you for this!" she yelled at the top of her lungs but all she heard were giggles coming from upstairs.

"I love you too, Sam!"

* * *

"Get your ass up!" she used the same voice as when she talked to Carly the other night. "You are so pathetic!"

Sam grabbed the empty can of beer he was holding and threw it on the floor. Freddie stared at her for just a second before turning his attention back to Celebrities Under Water. He didn't even know what was happening with the show or why he was watching it. He mind was blank and he was sure Sam could tell.

"Okay, Benson. If you don't get your ass up I swear I'll kick you so hard you'll cry like a little girl!" she threatened.

Freddie glared at her and stood up but instead of facing Sam, he proceeded to the kitchen and grabbed himself another can, all the while knowing that an angry Sam was following him.

"Stop bugging me, Sam!" he yelled at her as he slouched back onto his couch and popped the can. "I don't want to talk to Carly!"

She laughed bitterly. "Why? Because she's getting married?"

"BECAUSE SHE'S GETTING FUCKING MARRIED!"

Sam grabbed a pillow and smacked him hard in the head, forgetting that he wasn't the same Freddie whom she bullied throughout their teenage years. "That's not her fault, idiot!"

Freddie gave her his most dangerous look, something not anyone had seen ever. But Sam wasn't afraid of him.

SMACK!

The can of beer flew and the liquid poured all over his floor, making a loud noise. "Don't make me forget that you're a girl, Sam because I will hit…"

SMACK!

"Stupid! You are so stupid!" Sam hit him in the head one last time before he finally stood up and took the pillow from her hand. He was about to hit her back but the next words that came from her mouth froze him. "She loves you! You are so stupid and idiotic and I could kill you right now!"

Freddie looked at her like she was some kind of maniac or something before he sat down again and stared at absolutely nothing.

"Carly loves you! She's been in love with you forever, Freddie! Ever since you guys were in college!" Sam continued.

"Even before…"

"Yes! She was in love with you even when you were dating Shelby Marx! Why do you think she stomped on your foot that night? She was jealous, Freddie! She didn't want to come because she couldn't stand the idea of you and your pretty little girlfriend rubbing gums in front of her!"

He finally met her eyes. "I don't… I don't believe you. If she was in love with me, I would've known… I would've…"

"No! You wouldn't! Because you're stupid! You were playing it safe the whole time, Benson! You never told her your feelings for her! You thought it would just come out like some bubble appearing out of nowhere? You were so afraid she was going to reject you again and tell you she doesn't love you that way! But she did!"

The last word rang in his ears repeatedly. He blinked.

"Did…"

"Yeah, did. For the longest time. But now, she's getting married." Sam's voice returned to normal as she sat beside him. "And it's not her fault. You know it's not, Freddie. Stop blaming her. Stop making her feel she doesn't deserve to be happy with Nate because she does. If there's one girl who deserves to be happy, it's her. I saw how much he loves our Carly. Just because your relationship failed it doesn't mean hers have to fail too."

Sam took the invitation from her purse and put it on the coffee table, leaving a dumfounded Freddie in his apartment.

"She wants her best guy friend to come." Sam turned to him one last time. "It would mean a lot to her if you're there."

"Sam…" He shot his eyes back up to her. "How did you know that she…"

Sam smiled at him. "I'm her best friend. I know things about her that even she doesn't know about herself. She's my person."

* * *

Awkward.

Carly was on her way out of the apartment just as Freddie was opening his front door. For a moment they just stared at each other. Both of them couldn't find the words they wanted to say to each other. It's been three months since the argument in his apartment, three months since they had talked to each other.

It was the first time they bumped into each other. Carly had been avoiding him, looking at the peephole or using the elevator inside the apartment just so she wouldn't see him. Freddie spent most of his time inside his apartment, if not drinking beer, just staring at the wall or his TV. He never visited the shop and sometimes, he'd go drink after work and not be home until dawn. There were even days when he skipped work. He was lucky he still had his job.

Her hand was trembling at the sight of him and she was praying that he didn't notice. Luckily, Freddie was too busy staring into her eyes to even notice it.

She smiled faintly at him and before he knew it, she was already walking away from him.

"Carly!" he caught up with her and as if the heaven heard his pleas, Carly turned around and stared right back at him, her eyes full of questions and if he read them right, hope.

Freddie kept his distance even though he wanted so much to throw him onto her and never let her go. She was staring at him with her hazel brown eyes and he searched for something, anything that would tell him that Sam was telling the truth. But all he could see in them were sadness and it broke his heart into millions of pieces.

"I'm sorry." he breathed, not really taking his eyes off her. "I was drunk that night and everything was so wrong I... I didn't know what I was saying. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'm sorry if I yelled at you. I'm such a jerk."

His heart melted when she smiled back at him. "I'm sorry too, Freddie."

"Don't be." He finally reached for her and took her into his arms. He closed his eyes as he hugged the girl who meant everything to him.

But she wasn't hugging him back. She was just standing there, letting herself be gripped by Freddie. She didn't know why it seemed like it was nothing to her when really, it was everything. She missed him so bad for the last three months they weren't talking that sometimes, she would find herself crying before going to sleep.

Freddie felt this too. He would be lying if he told himself that Carly was into it as he was. As they pulled apart, he tried again to see what she was feeling but he couldn't find out what it was. It used to be so easy and he knew it was his fault. His words had really hurt her and he was afraid that it would never be the same again.

She gave him one last smile. "I have to go."

"Yeah..." he answered softly as he watched her leave again. When Carly stopped walking and turned around, Freddie's heart started to feel fine again only to be shattered once and for all by what she forgot to tell him.

"Freddie? Tomorrow's the wedding rehearsal dinner." She started. "Will I see you there?"

"Uhm, yeah." He gave her a fake smile. "I'll be there."

"See you then."

And he watched his whole life slip away from him.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I guess it's time that I finish this story. Two more chapters left! Thanks for sticking with me. I seriously love you all. :)**


	39. Chapter 39

Freddie couldn't make up his mind. He didn't want to go. No. He didn't want to see Carly together with Nate all night while he just sits there, wondering how great it would be if that was their rehearsal dinner. He didn't want to see Sam and Pete, and Spencer and Sasha be all cheesy and happy. He didn't want to see Nate's family and how perfect the guy was for Carly.

But there was a part of him, a huge part, that wanted to make sure that she wanted this, that she knew she was making the right decision. He wanted to know if what Sam said were true and if she really did love him or if there's any chance that she still does, then he promised he would do anything to…

No.

_Carly deserves to be happy. _And to him, he had hurt her enough. He couldn't ruin things for her again and again and again. He couldn't bear to be the reason of her tears anymore.

Grabbing another can of beer from his fridge, he sat on his comfort chair and tried to forget. Maybe Carly wouldn't even notice that he didn't come or if she ever did, he'd just say he got caught up with something at work… but it was a Saturday night and Carly knew he didn't have work on weekends. Carly would probably understand if he told her he had the flu. Yup, that was it.

After drinking the last of his beer, he grabbed his keys and hurried to the basement.

* * *

A small private room at the lobby of Schneider's Hotel was full of Carly and Nate's close friends, colleagues, and some relatives. There were at least ten round tables with eight seats each, a bar at the back, and well-dressed waiters rounding food and wine all night. Even Carly thought that it was too much for a rehearsal dinner. If she were to plan this from the beginning, she'd just have Spencer and his family, Sam and Pete, of course, and Nate's best guy friends and family.

"Wow.." she stopped walking and looked around. "This is too…"

"Wonderful?" Nate finished as he hooked his arm around her waist.

"Much." She finished and her fiancé laughed.

"I told you not to let my cousin plan our wedding rehearsal night." He chuckled. "You just wait for the wedding."

Carly felt her stomach flip and she began to become tense. Nate, feeling the vibes, gave her a kiss on her temple and guided her towards the middle of the room where they were greeted by people she's gonna have a hard time remembering after the tequilas.

"Are your parents here?" Carly nudged him as soon as the crowd left them alone but still smiling sweetly to those who were passing them by.

"Their flight got delayed. I'll just have to meet them at home tonight. You wanna come with me?" he asked, praying she'd say yes.

"I don't know… Some other time, maybe?"

He smiled. "Come on, baby. They have met you three times and they love you! You don't have to worry your pretty little head about anything. I promise. Mom's absolutely crazy about you." He leaned in for a kiss, earning them awws and ooohs from those who were close enough to witness their sweetness. "And I'm much more crazy about you. I love you so much, Carly."

He leaned down to give Carly a peck on the lips before she was snatched by Lanie who happened to be the wife of Nate's best man, Eric. She had met her at a bowling tournament hosted by the hospital Nate and Eric were working for and the two ladies immediately became friends. The redhead promised to bring her and Eric's little angel at the rehearsal and Carly couldn't wait to see the little boy she's gonna be seeing a lot of after she's been married to Nate.

* * *

He hid behind a tall flower arrangement near the entrance of the room where nobody was bored enough to look at. Immediately, his eyes searched for her. He promised himself that it would just take him seconds and then he'd leave and never bother her again.

And there she was, looking absolutely wonderful as ever as she cradled a little boy in her arms. Her hair was styled in a bun, something she could rarely be seen with, and her silver strapless dress that just went above her knees hugged her curves and displayed her long gorgeous legs. She was literally flowing in his eyes and suddenly, he let his mind wonder… How could Nate possibly take his eyes off her tonight?

Because if it was him… if this was their wedding rehearsal party and she was his, he wouldn't let her out of his sight for even a fraction of a second.

It took a lot of him to finally tear his eyes away from Carly and look around. Thankfully, the large crowd easily hid him from anyone he knew and that he could leave whenever he…

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He jumped at the sound of her familiar voice. He turned around and saw her with a glass of champagne, clearly indicating that she just recently went to the bar at the back of the room.

"You scared me!"

"Why so jumpy, Fredward? And you haven't answered my question yet!" she put her free hand on her waist. "What the hell are you doing there?"

"Carly invited me." Freddie answered smugly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Of course, I know that stupid! I meant what the hell are you doing behind that bush?"

"It's a flower, Sam. In case you haven't noticed." He shot back. "Anyways, I have to go. There's something I need to do for work. Just tell Carly that I stopped by and that…"

Before he could turn away, Sam grabbed her forcefully and started to drag her towards the middle of the room where he'd likely be seen by anyone that his plan to retreat without being noticed by anyone would not be possible at the moment.

"Come on, Freddie. Spencer saved a seat for you."

"No, no, no." He tried to pry away her hands from his wrist but she her grip was tight. She was still their Sam and nothing had changed. "Sam, get your hands off me!"

She ignored him.

"Cupcake!" Freddie's eyes grew wide as he saw Carly turn her head to look at her best friend. "Look who's here!"

Freddie waved at her awkwardly, giving in. He kind of felt relieved when Carly smiled at him and waved back. It seemed like they were already back to normal and that at least made him happy for a moment. Except that Nate came soon enough and took Carly with him to roam around.

Of course. This was their party. What did he expect?

Freddie avoided looking at the couple of the evening and just sat down beside Spencer and Sam. Everyone on the table greeted him but as soon as they were back to their own business, Freddie took the glass filled with champagne and drank until no drop was left.

"I can't believe Carly's getting married!" Sam squealed happily and everyone was like "yeah" and "I know" and "It's amazing."! Then she looked at her empty glass, shooting Freddie a deathly glare. "And I can't believe you emptied my drink." e w and

He stood up. "I'll get you another one."

As Freddie left the table emotionless and everyone seemed not to notice, Pete nudged his girlfriend gently and knowing what he wanted to say, Sam gave him a smile and a quick kiss on his right cheek. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"It seemed like you have no intentions of bringing my drink back to table." For the second time that night, Freddie jumped at the sound of her voice. "So I thought I'd join you. Pete's busy telling Spencer about the Laker game play by play anyway."

Freddie chuckled as Sam sat on the stool beside him. "Two please." The bartender filled both their glasses until Freddie picked it up, emptied it, and motioned for the bartender for another refill.

"It looks like somebody's trying to get drunk tonight." Sam said but he just smiled faintly. "I still can't believe Carly's getting married!"

"You already said that, Sam."

"I know!" she took a sip of her drink. "It's like it was just yesterday when I tried to snatch her tuna sandwich and she threw me off the bench for it! I never knew that I'd be friends with that chick but I'm so thankful I still am."

Freddie smiled at the memory. "She kept you out of juvie."

"She's kept me out of a lot of things! Remember when she took the blame for me when I photoshopped Ms. Brigg's head to a rhinoceros' body?" she laughed. "That's something a best friend that loves you so much would do."

"iCarly." It was one word that he said and both of them almost had goose bumps.

Sam turned around to look for their best friend and Freddie followed her gaze. They found her beside Nate, still entertaining their guests as if this was already the reception.

"I can't believe that girl used to random dance a lot or even throw her pretty little head in a drum full of cold water just so she'd stay awake for iCarly to beat the world record." She reminisced.

Freddie smiled. "I can't believe that the girl we're looking at smashed the window of the fake spacepod we were in and jumped out the window after telling us both to calm our ass down."

Sam smiled before her face turned serious and they both spun their chair around to take a sip of their drink. "I owe a lot to her. She really is something, isn't she?"

He closed his eyes and remembered the memories they shared. "She's not something to me, Sam."

…

_"You do realize that we are still wearing our graduation gowns, right?" Freddie chuckled._

_"I know." she replied but she made no move to remove it. "It just adds to this whole dramatic effect. We look like teens running away from home after graduation to get married in Vegas."_

_"You want to go to Vegas now and you know... get married probably?" Freddie asked her playfully._

_"Not until we're twenty-six." she giggled._

…

_"I'm sorry Freddie. Please don't get mad anymore." she whispered in that cute voice Freddie couldn't resist._

_He smiled though he knew she couldn't see him. Freddie placed his hands on her wrists and carefully removed them around his neck before spinning his computer chair around to face her._

_"I am not mad at you." he told her, still holding both of her hands._

_"Yes you are." she pouted. "You're giving me the cold shoulder and I don't like it."_

…

_"Brad makes me happy sometimes." she suddenly said. "But this is different."_

_Freddie closed his eyes, anxious to hear what she would say next. When she didn't hear him respond, she continued to explain._

_"Lots of people make me happy. Spencer, Sam, Gibby, Brad..." she enumerated but she never mentioned his name. "But sometimes, when I'm really down, I just pretend to be happy for the people around me. Carly Shay is known for being perky and happy-go-lucky but there are also times when I feel so low and sad and lonely. When I'm with you, it's nothing like that. I don't have to pretend that I'm happy because when I'm with you, no matter what I'm feeling... it just happens."_

…

_"Thank you." He whispered. "I'm sorry for last night… I…" he stopped as he felt something hard as he reached for her hand._

_Freddie's gaze travelled slowly from her eyes to her fingers._

_And then he lost it._

_"You're…"_

_"Engaged."_

…

The last memory forced him to snap his eyes open and empty his nth glass for the night. "She's everything to me, Sam. She's not just something. To me, she's everything and more."

"I know." She looked at him and understood. "So what's your plan?"

He ran his hand through his hair and gave her a fake smile. "Be happy for her."

"Well you're not doing a very good job about it." Sam playfully punched him in the shoulder to lighten up his mood. But she knew that no matter what she did, nothing could take away the pain Freddie was feeling at the moment.

She watched him stare into his empty glass. "Come on, Freddie. What's the other plan?"

"Get drunk." He answered simply and before she could stop him, he drowned himself with another shot. "Or leave. Yup. I'll just say goodbye to Carly and then Freddie's out."

Right on cue, Freddie and Sam saw Carly sprinting towards the bathroom alone. Freddie was out of his seat in no time and he was on his way towards Carly. Sam could only watch them and hope that nothing crazy would happen between her two best friends. Things had been not okay for the longest time and she never wanted that to happen again.

"Hey, Carly!" he called her up and she spun around, her silver dress flowing around her.

She stopped and smiled. "Oh, hey! Are you having a good time? I'm so sorry I couldn't be with you guys tonight. There are just a lot of people and…"

"I gotta leave… Something came up at work and you know. I have to uhm… do it before I get fired or something or… I'll just…"

"Oh."

"So uhm…"

"Yeah." She smiled faintly. Carly didn't know why she felt sad when he told her he had to leave. "Thank you for coming, Freddie. It really means a lot that you're here."

"I'm glad I came… I… Goodbye, Carly." He gave her one last smile before he turned around to leave, not waiting for anything she would say.

Carly's heart was beating so fast; she thought she was having a heart attack. The sight of Freddie leaving made it hard for her to breathe properly. She wanted something more, something she didn't know.

"Freddie…" she whispered and he stopped. "Hug me goodnight?"

She didn't know why she said that because the next thing she knew, Freddie's lips were on hers and she couldn't think clearly because it seemed like she was forgetting that she was in her wedding rehearsal for goodness sake and there she was, kissing another man that wasn't her fiancée.

The kiss they were sharing wasn't even a passionate one. Their lips were just smashed together with Freddie cupping her face with one hand while the other held her waist for dear life as her hands were both on his shoulders for support.

They weren't even moving. Hell, none of them wanted to move an inch. Both their eyes were closed, feeling the moment, feeling everything their hearts were screaming out loud. Her grip on his shirt were tightening and he was starting to move his lips and she didn't know that she was doing the same thing. They were lost in their own world, in their unspoken love, until they heard a voice…

"Carls!" Sam hissed. "Nate's looking for you."

She opened her eyes and the parting of their lips made a popping sound. Freddie soon opened his eyes they were both staring at each other, both lost for their own words, both searching for something, for an explanation, for anything that could save them both.

"Carly…" he whispered her name and she snapped out of it. Her grip on his shirt loosened and before Freddie could say anything again, she had already moved away from him.

Carly never shot him another look as she looked at Sam for a second. When Sam nodded at her, he watched her slip away from him again.

_"Why are you mad at me?" she wanted to sound angry but it came out as a whisper. "Why are you yelling at me like it's my fault that she left you?"_

_He closed his eyes for a moment._

_**Because you're getting married. Because I'm still in love with you. Because I will always be in love with you and you're leaving me. Because...**_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**The italicized words are flashbacks. If you're an avid reader, you can tell that those are taken from actual chapters of the story. :)**

**And... Wow! Haha. I can't believe I've updated this fast! A reader sent me a private message telling me to update this story. lol And you guys deserve it because you're all so amazing for sticking around. :)**

**Uhm... One more thing. I kind of miscalculated? I know I'm bad in Math. I'm sorry. :( So anyway... I know I said this is the second to the last chapter of the story but I never thought this would turn out to be this long so I had to cut it into two chapters. Expext TWO more chapters after this. I'm quite sure about the number now. Or not. Maybe not. But yeah. Most probably two. I know, I know. Don't you guys just want to smack me in the head? lol But don't do that. You probably won't know the ending. So seriously... Don't.**

**Kidding aside... It's ALMOST OVER. Wow. Bittersweet. But I'll not get carried away. Two more. :)**

**Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. :')**

**OH... AND A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK OF THE NEXT CHAPTER! **

_When she opened her eyes, she found him looking intimately at her, questions filling his gorgeous brown eyes. When she didn't respond, he brought his face close to her again, their lips only a millimeter apart._

_"You can stop me." He whispered against her mouth. "Anytime, Carly. You can stop me anytime."_

__**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK OF THE STORY! :D**

**Until then...**

**-purpleheart10**


	40. Chapter 40

Ten times. Or more. That was the number of times he stood up from the couch and looked through the peephole to see if Carly was home from the rehearsal dinner. It was nearly one in the morning and there was still no sound of people from the apartment across the hall. He tried sending Sam a text message but she didn't reply. He wanted to call Carly but he created enough trouble the night just by kissing her…

The kiss. It was something he could never take back. He blamed the alcohol. He was drunk and he didn't know what he was doing. But he did know. He thought it was just in his head, that he was just imagining kissing the girl he loved the most. But it was real. Her lips felt real. The way she moved her mouth to kiss him back before Sam hissed was real.

Real enough for him not to regret anything. Kissing Carly was the only right thing he'd ever done in their entire relationship. He shouldn't be sorry for kissing her, for loving her because he's always loved her even before all the others did, even before Ryan or Brad or Nate! He loved her from the beginning and he still loved her now.

He loved her so much that he kissed her on her wedding rehearsal night. At least he didn't wait for the wedding!

"Aaaaaaaaarrgh!" he lifted his ass of the couch, looked through the peephole one last time, then walked towards his bedroom.

Maybe it was really a mistake. No, no. It wasn't. At least for him. But for Carly? He didn't know. And it didn't matter anyway because she's getting married in a few weeks. Maybe the kiss didn't mean anything to Carly. Maybe Carly never thought about it after again. Maybe Nate had kissed her and she forgot about it and she forgot about him and…

BLAG!

He immediately turned around to see what the loud sound was and saw a pair of angry eyes inside his apartment. His hands came out of his pocket, ready for defense because the next thing he knew… the empty beer can he left on the coffee table was already on its way to his face.

He brought his hands up as shield just in time. He must admit. The aim was exceptional. But the next thing that flew right towards him was the other half of a four-inch heeled black sandals.

"What the…" he muttered after the sandals missed his face by a centimetre and created a thud as it hit the wall and then the floor. "Are you out of your mind? You could've hurt me!"

She whispered angry words that he couldn't seem to understand as she started removing the other half of the black sandals from her left foot. Freddie could only look at her with fear but mostly amusement at how she struggled to remove it and how she looked so cute and breathtakingly beautiful at the same time when she's mad.

"You know you look pretty tonight." He tried to stall her, even though he meant every word, but it only seemed to make her angrier because the second shoe was already flying towards him before he could duck and it hit him fair and square on his chest.

"Ooow!" Freddie winced at the pain as he bent down and tried to put pressure on the area with both of his hands. "Ahhh. Shiiit! Carly! "

Carly immediately regretted what she just did as she saw how much hurt he was and how much pain he was feeling.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she started to walk towards him. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"I'm okay." He whispered. Of course he knew that she didn't mean it. He knew she'd never hurt him on purpose. It was his fault, really. "I'm just lucky you didn't… ahh.. hit me on the face."

"Why didn't you move to the side?" she asked obnoxiously.

He looked at her in disbelief. "Why did you throw your shoe?"

"Because you kissed me!" she hissed.

"Well, you kissed me back!" he shot back cleverly.

"No!" she denied. "I didn't kiss you! You were pressing your lips on mine and I can't move because you were holding me on my waist and your other hand was on my face and oh yeah, did I mention that you had your lips all over me?"

He snickered. "The last time I checked, you were gripping both my shoulders too!"

"I wasn't gripping you!" she screamed at that annoyed Carly voice that everyone found amusing as she rolled her eyes at him. "I was trying to push you away."

"Nooo." He stated calmly. "You were pulling me closer."

"ARGGGH!" She gave him a blow to his chest but it seemed like Freddie didn't even feel a thing. "That's for kissing me!"

He smiled and let the alcohol talk for him. "It was worth it!"

His reply made him angrier as she repeatedly jabbed him in the chest to let out all the frustrations she was feeling. To Freddie, to Nate, to all the guests who arrived at the party and kept her from having a good time with her friends at her own rehearsal dinner, and most especially, to herself for kissing the man standing before her tonight and loving every second of it. She didn't want to hurt him but she was too mad and confused and scared.

Freddie just let her do it because he knew that her feelings were all messed up at the moment. The physical pain he was feeling from her blows was nothing compared to the emotional pain he had to bear for all these months of not being able to tell her how he really felt.

"How… could… you… do… this!" she exclaimed in between blows and each time, she gets a little tired. Freddie tried so hard not to move an inch. "You… have… no… right… to… kiss… me!"

The next thing they knew, she was already crying on his chest and her hands were already on his shoulders for support while his were on her back, pressing her gently onto him even more. She could feel his heart beating and the sound was so wonderful it made her cry even more.

"I'm sorry Carls. I'm sorry for kissi…"

"Shut up, Freddie." She sniffed against his chest as she cut him off sharply. "Don't be sorry for kissing me."

Carly groaned as Freddie pulled away from her only to wipe her tears with the back of his hand. They were standing too close to each other, dangerously close. Without taking their eyes off each other, Carly unconsciously circled her arms around his neck as Freddie closed the distance between them, pressing their foreheads together and snaking his arms around her waist.

He was looking at her very soul and the smile on her face was something he'd like to remember for the rest of his life because who knew what would happen after tonight? He was afraid to know.

"Your hair's up." He smiled and she giggled. "You hated wearing your hair like that. But just so you know, you still look absolutely breath-taking, Carly."

"Nate liked it this way." He closed his eyes at the mention of his name.

Carly removed her bun in one hand and let hair fall. "Better?" she asked as she returned to their previous position.

"That's more I like it." He smiled helplessly and just took in her beauty. Her long dark hair flowing to her sides, her bare shoulders exposing her collar bone, and just her presence were enough to make him the weakest man on earth at the moment.

"I missed you." Carly whispered lovingly. "I missed you so much, Freddie. I miss you all the time."

Carly closed her eyes as she felt Freddie's lips on the tip of her nose. She waited for a brief moment as she felt his hot breath on her cheeks. It only took him a few seconds to devour her lips once again with a quick, simple kiss that made her heart ache for something more.

When she opened her eyes to protest, she found him looking intimately at her, questions filling his gorgeous brown eyes. When she didn't respond, he brought his face close to her again, their lips only a millimetre apart.

"You can stop me." He whispered against her mouth. "Anytime, Carly. You can stop me anytime."

This time, it was she who closed the distance between them. She melded their lips together to show him that she had no intentions to stop whatever this was, that she wanted this as much as she wanted him, and that this wasn't just on him now.

She could feel his hand move their way up on her lower back and rest there as they both move to press themselves closer if it was even possible. When Freddie opened his lips, Carly did nothing to stop him. Instead, she mimicked his movement as the kiss they were sharing became deeper; counting out all the other kisses they've once shared. They were clearly both lost in the moment and nothing could clearly come between them. Not even the fact that she was engaged to Nate.

They were pouring everything into the kiss, their unspoken love, the overflowing feelings they had for one another. Freddie found his hand lost in the strands of her hair and he knew that if they didn't stop soon, they'd both run out of air.

"Carls…" he whispered against her mouth and all he heard were groans of protests as she kissed him again.

He soon forgot everything that he wanted to say.

* * *

"Are you drunk?" he asked of her.

They were cuddling on his bed after their mutual decision of not doing anything more. They didn't want to make things more complicated than they already were so Freddie, being the gentleman that he was just led her to his room and took her in his arms.

"Just a little tipsy." She explained, intertwining their fingers as she rested her whole body against his. "I emptied a glass after Sam told me you left."

"Sorry…" he kissed the top of her head and smiled.

"Are you?" she asked back.

"I drank a lot more than that, I think." He smirked. "But I'm nowhere near as drunk as I was when we argued. I promise."

Carly felt relieved. "So it wasn't the alcohol then?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion as he brought her hand to his lips. "What do you mean?"

"That you didn't kiss me at the hotel because you were drunk." She explained to him.

He cupped her chin and turned her face gently so they were eye to eye. Freddie gave her one quick kiss and still, she closed her eyes. "It was all me. The alcohol just gave me a little push but it was all me."

She looked at him and he thought she was the most precious thing in the world to him. "So you're not going to forget about this tomorrow morning?"

"Never." He assured her. "I will never forget this."

Carly smiled at him and rested her head against his chest again. "I don't want to go. Can I sleep here tonight with you?"

"Of course." He poked her little nose and she laughed. "Anytime."

"But I'm too tired to go back to the apartment and change." She pouted. "Do you have girl clothes?"

He laughed. "Why would I keep girls clothes here?"

"I don't know." She frowned. "Didn't you have girls sleep over here all the time?"

"Fishing, are we?" he smirked. "No. Even Shelby hadn't slept here. The only girls who ever did were you and Sam. And that was long way back."

"So… you're…"

He blushed as he realized what she was trying to say. "I have an over-sized t-shirt in the drawer. Is that okay?"

"Ooh!" she clapped her hands much to his amusement. "Comfy."

Freddie looked for the large white shirt he had on one of his drawers and gave it to Carly who was following him. He handed her the shirt and before she turned around, she gave him an open-mouthed kiss that made it hard for him to let her go.

"I'll be back." She whispered sweetly.

"I'll be here." He replied lovingly.

* * *

Thoughts were running inside his head as he sat on his bed and waited for Carly to come out. Things happened so fast that he was having a hard time keeping up. There was no denying that they had a bigger problem now. Carly was getting married in weeks and here they were, doing things that a bride-to-be should never do with someone who wasn't her groom-to-be.

When she came out wearing only his shirt on top of her undergarments which the tip just above her knee, and her hair still wet from the shower, Freddie forgot everything again. As if she was a big magnet, Freddie was drawn closer to her and the next thing he knew, he was already kissing her again.

"I'm sorry. I think I used up all the hot water." She apologized as they parted.

When Freddie smiled faintly, Carly cupped his cheek and gave him a quick kiss. Just as she thought, something was bothering Freddie because he led her to his bed and motioned for her to sit beside him.

"What's wrong?" she asked although she already knew the answer.

Freddie just looked at her with pleading eyes as if telling her to put him out of his misery. "You know what's wrong, Carly. This."

She looked away. From the moment that he kissed her at the dinner, she had always known that this moment would come and she very much wanted to avoid it.

"Look at me." He whispered with his cracking voice. "Carls, please." He reached for her hand and placed it on his lap. "Look at me."

When her eyes met his, she was already tearing up. "Please don't do this to me." She cried and Freddie couldn't do anything about it. "Please don't make me choose… I… I can't, Freddie. Don't. Please. It's so hard."

He could only take her on his arms and hold her tight. "I know, Carls. I know." As much as he wanted to know the answers, he just let it go. "Let's just not do this tonight. Okay?"

"I'm sorry." She sniffed as she buried her face on his chest. "I know this is hard for you too. I know that me coming here just messed everything up. I'm not asking you to understand because I know you do. You're my Freddie. But I can't think. I'm confused. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I don't know…"

He lifted her chin up and made her look at him. "Just know that whatever happens, I will always be here for you."

She kissed the back of his hand and brought it to her cheek. "I just want to be with you tonight, Freddie. That's the only thing I'm sure of."

He smiled because it was what he wanted too.

When Freddie woke up at around 3:00 am, he brushed away the hair covering the face of the beautiful girl sleeping soundly beside him. He hooked his arm around her and pressed himself closer so he could give her a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you so much Carly." He murmured. "I love you so much."

* * *

"What the…" she suddenly woke up from the noise her bedroom door made when it was opened. As she rubbed her eyes off sleep, she saw her best friend standing there wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was all over the place, her eyes were swollen, and there were tears flowing from her eyes as she made those noises Sam never wanted to hear.

When Sam was left speechless for a moment, Carly ran to her and threw herself onto her best friend who hugged her tight and ran her hands on her hair.

"Carls…" she whispered. "Stop, please."

But Carly couldn't stop. Sam could hear her troubled breathing. She could hear every sob Carly was making. She could feel her shaking in her arms.

"Sam…" she sobbed. "Sam, he…"

"Shhh…"

"He's gone!" she cried hard. "Fre… ddie's…"

"Carly!" Sam scolded. "Will you stop crying, please? You're gonna have an asthma attack and I don't know where the heck you're inhaler is! Please, please… Breathe for me, okay?"

"Freddie… he left me." She cracked. "I love…him, Sam. I love him… so much."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah, I'm sure you guys would say, "NOT AGAIN!" or maybe you'll just hit me in the head fairly because Freddie left and Carly's sad again and… AAAAAH…**

**Just so you guys know, the LAST and FINAL chapter of this story is already done. So if you want me to post it, please leave a review. **** It's pathetic. I know. But I just want to know what you guys think and how you guys feel… and all. **

**Thank yoooouuuuuu! **


	41. Chapter 41

**Here you go! The LAST and FINAL chapter of THE PACT. *cries* Thank you for the reviews. I was supposed to post it tomorrow but I thought I saw some of you outside my house with pitchforks. Lol Just kidding… But seriously… thanks. You're probably gonna kill me anyway because of the ending… Or maybe not. I hope not. :P**

**This might be the longest chapter I've written so far. Enjoy. And thank you ^_^**

* * *

It was only when she descended the stairs that night after a quick shower that she realized that it was really her twenty-sixth birthday. Her morning until afternoon went normal as she and Sam spent the day at the shop. There were nothing big, just a few greetings and some special treatment from her friends.

She felt gloomy and old and alone for a second before she was greeted with loud cheers of birthday wishes from her friends and her family. It turned out that they were planning this all along, just like what they did for her previous birthdays.

Spencer and his wife brought foods they personally prepared to share. Sam and Pete took care of other party needs like music and the big birthday card on the table, and Gibby brought along his little brother who seemed not so little anymore. She was sure that Nate would have been there too if it wasn't for the medical trip he needed to attend in Chicago.

Carly heaved a heavy sigh and not one that says "I wish this was over" but definitely "I'm really thankful for them" sigh. However, as she drifted her eyes to baby Nattie who was happily playing in her stroller, she suddenly felt that feeling again.

"I'm old." She whispered but everyone was so happy and ecstatic about the food and the party and everything that no one heard her.

She noticed the way Pete looked at Sam and she gave it a year or two before they decide to get married. Spencer was happy with his marriage with Sasha, and Gibby didn't know that she knew there was something going on between him and Wendy at the shop. She remembered Nate, and how she almost got so close to living a happy life with him but that wouldn't work out because she couldn't see herself spending the rest of her life with someone other than…

"Carls!" Sam called, her mouth full of spaghetti tacos.

She snapped out of her trance and looked at her best friend. Seriously, how could she eat so much and still look gorgeous? "You know your mouth is full, Sam."

"Yesh." She finished chewing and continued. "That's the point. I'm eating. That's why you should get the door."

Carly shook her head and smiled. It was her birthday and birthday girls or ladies (because it's her 26th birthday and she couldn't believe she was that old) shouldn't have to open freaking doors. Of course, she thought she was just making a big deal out of it.

She finally made her way to the front door, expecting T-bo or some classmates from Ridgeway or maybe even her ex-fiancé, which would have been a wonderful surprise.

"Hi!" he said awkwardly, like the first time he ever did.

Carly returned the greeting by slamming the door in his face, turning madly at Sam and pretty much everyone who were eating like they weren't watching what had happened. Sam looked at Pete then finally met her eyes.

"So…" she whispered. "Who was that?"

"You're in trouble!" she cried, pointing madly at her best friend before turning to Spencer. "Can you believe she did this?"

Sam walked past Carly, all the while asking what she did and saying she had nothing to do with it. Carly crossed her arms and watched her best friend open the door to someone who was smiling like an idiot with a perfectly wrapped gift in his hand. Somehow, he knew that the reaction he got was just fair and expected and by the look on his face, he was amused.

"Oh my God!" Sam screamed enthusiastically. "What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you!" She even gave him a big hug to sell it. "Why didn't you call?"

He laughed because he knew and the sound almost made Carly want to smile, except he was looking directly into her eyes and there's nothing in the world she wanted to do more than to pull him for a bigger hug or a kiss or…

"Why didn't you call? We could have picked you up at the airport!" Sam asked again and he just shrugged, still looking at Carly.

"Oh, come on! You're exaggerating this, Sam! Since when do you… you know! Hug?" she threw her hands in the air for emphasis, looking at Sam for a moment before finally turning to him. "You! What are you doing here?"

"Happy birthday?" he flashed his gorgeous smile, obviously teasing her. He handed out the gift which she willingly accepted before handing it to Sam.

Just as he thought everything was okay, Carly roughly pushed him until he was outside.

For the second time that night, Carly slammed the door at him.

"You're in trouble!"

Sam laughed incredulously. "You already said that, cupcake."

"I know. But you're in trouble!"

Like a normal twenty six year old, she slumped herself onto the couch, eyeing Sam who didn't know if she should open the door or not. Carly's cute angry face was too adorable and she thought Freddie should see it. Luckily for her, Sasha was the one who opened the door for him again. Carly could never hate her sister-in-law.

Freddie came in coolly and locked the door behind him.

"Freddooo!" Spencer pulled him in for a hug just like the old times. "You are so huggable and manly and strong and cute and handsome and... Sasha will kill me."

"Hey, Sasha. How are you?" Freddie gave her a kiss and then turned to his old bud, Gibby. "Come on, Man!" Then he shook Pete's hands.

Of course, he wouldn't forget the adorable girl he picked up to give a kiss. "And how are you doing? You must have missed me so much!"

"You were only gone for 18 days." Carly whispered. "Nobody missed you. I didn't miss you."

Freddie raised his eyebrows at her as Nattie gave him a hearty chuckle, pinching his nose and playing with his hair. "You're turning into a beautiful lady just like your Aunt… your Mom." Nattie giggled again as if she just understood what he just said. "Of course, Aunt Carly's beautiful too but she's just gotta stop making faces like she's ten! It brings out the wrinkles in her eyes, doesn't it?"

Sam tried so hard not to laugh. "Don't push it, Fredward. We're all in trouble here."

Freddie turned to Carly and smiled at how adorable she looked. Of course, there weren't any wrinkles like he said. At twenty-six, she was still the most beautiful girl to him.

"Hey, Carls." He tried to charm her with his smile.

Carly stood up and faced him, her face slowly warming up at the sight of Freddie. Then, slowly, like what she did before to piss him off, she stomped on his good foot, grabbed her coat, and slammed the door behind her.

"Ow!" Freddie winced but everyone was looking at the door after Carly left.

"We are definitely in trouble." Spencer announced.

Gibby raised both his hands and came clean. "I had nothing to do with this."

"I should go after her." Freddie said.

"You think?" Sam replied sarcastically, earning an eye roll from her friend.

* * *

"Carly!" Freddie called out as he finally saw her walking on the street ahead of him.

Carly continued to walk amidst the dark and the cold of the night, not really bothering to stop or to feel her surroundings. She was so mad at Sam who went behind her back again but she couldn't really blame her best friend. She was mad at Spencer too because she thinks he knew about Sam and Freddie's plan and he didn't tell her. She was mad at Gibby because… she couldn't quite know.

Above everything, she was mad at him for showing up even though she missed him _"I don't miss him."_ and she wanted to see him to know if he still cares because she does "_I don't care about him."_

She knew Freddie was behind her and by the increasing volume of his voice, she realized that he was going to catch up with him soon.

"Stupid, stupid Freddie." She whispered to herself. "I can't believe he's here. Ugh. Who does he think he is? Leaving just like that and then coming back, ruining my birthday. Not even a phone call to warn me or an e-mail or anything. Stupid, stupid, Freddie and this stupid, stupid feelings for Freddie."

"Carly!" he was just a good 5 meters away from her now and he could tell she was increasing her pace. "Kisses, please stop. You're embarrassing me."

She grunted and without turning back, she yelled even though he was now two steps behind her. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else, kissing someone else's bride at night, cuddling with her and saying all those sweet words and then leaving her heartbroken the morning after with just a stupid I love you note?"

Freddie laughed as he caught up with her and was now walking beside her. "Well, I'm here because I promised someone else's bride almost a decade ago that I'd marry her when she reached her twenty-sixth birthday. I'm a man who fulfils his promise. You know that. And as much as I want to be sorry for her not being somebody else's bride anymore, I can't because she's still going to be a bride." He beamed at himself proudly. "My bride."

"No." she continued walking or skipping, not really looking at him. She hated his guts. "It wasn't real. We were teenagers back then, Freddie! And what makes you think I'm gonna marry you after all this? So it's a big N-O because I can't even look at you right now."

Freddie smirked. "What makes you think I want to marry you? And I haven't even proposed yet." Carly glared at him for a while before increasing her pace again. "And I know you can't look at me right now because I make you blush."

"Argh! You make me mad! You're so… full of yourself! You think you have a chance with me? You don't because the pact we made no longer applies. It's… invalidated! And it was never real in the first place. I just said I'd marry you because you were my best friend then and you were always there for me but you stopped being my best friend because you left and I hate you! I hate you so much, Fre- Ahhhh!"

Because of her babbling, Carly didn't realize a huge rock on her path. She tripped and if it wasn't for Freddie being there, she could have landed on the ground, face first. He caught her just in time and reflexes taking over, she circled her arms around his neck for support. Stupid, stupid, stupid muscular arms of Freddie.

Without any warning, he leaned in closely and gave her a quick kiss. On the lips.

"So, it's validated again. There you go, sealed with a kiss."

He didn't know where he found the boldness that he was showing her. Maybe because she was dropping hints and he knew now her feelings for him. He just needed to hear it from her and with the way things were going, he was gonna have a hard time getting it. But her stubbornness won't stop him.

Carly tried so hard to shake him off and remove his tight grip on her waist. Freddie had this smile on his face the whole time, as if he wanted to irritate her more.

"You had no right to kiss me." She hissed, looking so mad at him.

"I'd do it again if you want to." He replied confidently.

Carly pulled out her own hair in frustration. She muttered angry words under her breath and seeing that Freddie was just smiling like a total maniac in front of her, she turned around and started to walk angrily again.

"I love you!" he suddenly yelled. "There! I said it. Again! So just please stop walking away."

Carly knew Freddie would not dare joke about something like that. She knew about the seriousness in his tone and it made her still for a while. "Stop that."

"You don't believe me?" Freddie asked, still in his place.

She shook her head and walked again.

"Fine!" he yelled at her. "Go! Just go ahead and leave me alone. I guess I'll just lie on this busy road and wait for a car to run me over. Goodbye, Carly. It was nice knowing you."

As if losing his mind, Freddie did lie down near the intersection of a not-so-busy highway. Thankfully, only two cars passed by him, each driver rolling down the windows and yelling at him to go die somewhere else or something.

Carly heard those angry drivers and she turned to go back to him. It wasn't because she was ready to make up. She was still mad but the thought of Freddie getting hurt scared her. He'd done it before when he saved her life but this was different.

Freddie beamed as he saw her approaching but he wiped it off as soon as she was standing close. He gave her a sad look before looking at the sky, placing his hands on top of his stomach.

He sighed. "I don't think I can make it."

"Oh, just get up!" Carly crossed her arms against her chest and glared at him. "You don't get to do this to me, Freddie!"

Of course, he didn't listen. "Do you know what life's like for someone who can't have that one person? I've known that feeling for years, decades even. But every time I try to give up, you give me reason to hold on." She blinked and her eyes soften with guilt. "I… You've always known how I feel for you. You know how much you mean to me. And as your best guy friend, I know you love me. But what pains me more is that you just don't love me."

"You don't know that." She whispered.

He met her eyes. "So you love me?"

She breathed heavily. "Just get up. I promise, we'll talk about this like mature adults and I will stop walking away from you. Just please."

Freddie didn't move. "So you don't love me."

"Freddie!"

"Goodbye, Carly. Always remember that I love you. Always have, always will. You're the best thing that happened to me. I love you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you." Freddie started to scoot closer to the middle of the road where he'd more likely be hit.

Freddie decided to close his eyes so he couldn't see what was happening and what's in store for him. Carly started to feel scared because one car just missed Freddie's arm by a foot or two and more angry drivers were yelling at them.

"Oh my God, Freddie!" she screamed. "I love you! Just get your stupid ass up before I kill you!"

Freddie's opened his eyes and smiled. "What? I can't hear you with all those car horns."

But he did hear her. Crystal clear.

"I love you, stupid! I love you! I, Carly Shay, love you. I am in love with you. What else do you want me to say? I love you and I'll marry you and we're gonna have this cute little wedding and then someday, we'll have cute little kids too and I'm gonna make you breakfast in bed every morning and… and I'll… Just please get up because I freaking love you!"

His heart was literally jumping in his chest. "Prove it."

It took her three seconds to walk towards him, bend down, and plant her lips on his. Freddie did not need it to be long and passionate. He just needed it to be real. Besides, they were causing enough drama on the road and he was sure one angry driver would just run them over for goodness sake.

Contented, Freddie sat up straight, gave Carly another quick kiss, and then dragged her towards the sidewalk in a matter of five seconds.

"Stop smiling like an idiot!" She scolded him with a blow on his chest that seemed nothing to him. "This isn't funny, Freddie!"

"I know, I know." He apologized but he was too ecstatic to wipe the grin off his face. "I'm sorry, kisses."

She rolled her eyes at him without another word and started to walk towards Bushwell. She was still mad at him because he just scared her literally to death. Freddie was aware when it stopped being a joke for her. He knew that what he did was pathetic but he just needed her to stop worrying about her pride and just say what she really feels for him.

"Carly!" he called. "You promised, remember? No more walking away."

"I'm not walking away." She answered truthfully. "I'm going home and you're walking with me so technically, this is not considered as walking away."

Freddie caught up soon enough and he smiled. "Oh. So can I hold your hand then?"

"No."

"Why not? I just want to hold my girlfriend's hand as we walk." His brows furrowed in frown upon seeing guys walking past them looking at Carly like she wasn't even with him.

"I'm not your girlfriend." Carly retorted but there was nothing she could do to bring him down from the cloud he was at the moment.

"I'm sorry."

"Good."

"Can I hold my fiancée's hand then?"

She threw dagger looks at him. "I'm not your fiancée either."

"Again, sorry. I should have proposed properly."

Carly grunted and didn't answer. She just hugged herself so he couldn't hold her hand and because she was starting to get cold. Freddie walked patiently beside her, keeping it cool even though he couldn't contain the feelings he was feeling inside. Of course, he'd be on top of the world if only Carly could act more mature about this.

Both quietly went inside the lift. She refused to look at him as he refused to stop looking at her.

"Carly."

"What!" she tried to sound irritated but it only amused him more.

"Can I kiss you?"

It was like it wasn't Freddie who was with her inside the elevator. He had changed a lot. He was bold and confident now, like he wasn't afraid of anything. If she wasn't that mad at him, she'd admit to herself that she loves it.

Her shoulders tensed and she didn't know if she wanted to get out of the elevator so he wouldn't have to know how her stomach was flipping after what he said or just stay in the elevator, push the emergency stop button and kiss him endlessly.

"No kissing until we talk about this." She replied but her heart said otherwise.

Freddie pushed the emergency stop button himself and stood in front of Carly. She crossed her arms again and looked at him. He had this smirk on his face and he was leaning towards her and…

"Ow! CARLYY!"

She just stomped on his foot again just as the elevator had stopped on their floor. She stormed out quickly, relieved that Spencer, Sam, and the rest were there to back her up in case Freddie does something stupid or romantic or more.

But no one was around anymore. Spencer and Sasha took their baby home, Sam and Pete were out doing God knows what, and Gibby probably left because he was too scared to be in the apartment alone.

She turned around nervously and she wasn't really surprised that Freddie had a smug expression now on his face. She kind of missed the way he was just smirking at her for the past hour.

He was walking slowly towards her.

"Stop!" she warned. "Don't move!"

But Freddie had enough.

Carly yelled at the top of her lungs and tried to shoo him away but he immediately scooped her up, his face not giving anything away. She was still fighting him off even though she knew it would be of no use since his grip was strong enough to hold her in place but gentle enough not to hurt her.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked but his expression remained blunt. "I demand you put me down this instant!"

Freddie kicked her bedroom door open as he carried her and her eyes grew wide in shock when she realized where they were.

"Freddie!"

He looked at her as they reached her bed. "Enough, Carls."

And yes, he just tossed her to her own bed, pinned her arms up before she could even sit up and run away from him again. He was hovering on top of her.

"Rape!" she struggled. "Rape! Help! 911! I'm being raped! You wouldn't! I'm a virgin for goodness sake and I'll call the cops on you and Sam will kick your ass and Spencer too and…"

"SHUT UP!" he yelled. "Just shut up for one hell of a minute and listen!"

Carly opened her mouth.

"I swear Carly that if you open your mouth and talk, I'm going to kiss you long enough until you beg me to stop." She immediately closed it again and bit her lower lip. "And don't bite your lip like that! You don't know how much I want to kiss you right now."

She furrowed her brows in frown and he heaved a heavy sigh.

"I love you. I know you already know that but I bet you have no idea how much. I promise to show you that every day because we'll have forever soon enough and I can't really wait." He started and she was melting now. "But before everything else, I know I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for kissing you on your wedding rehearsal night. It was stupid of me to kiss someone else's fiancée then. I guess I had too much to drink and Sam was saying these awful words that I can't… that hurt me. She said I'm going to lose you forever and soon enough after you're married, you would stop being best friends with me because you'd have a husband and he will be your everything and you don't know how much I wished that was me."

Carly fought the urge to talk and kiss him then and there.

"That night, I was really surprised that you came into my apartment. That will always be the best night of my life because for the first time, you made me feel that you love me. But you loved Nate too. And it hurt me that you were crying because you didn't know what to do and you were so confused. I wanted to stay and fight for you, take you away from him, and be the bad guy in your story. I could handle it. But I can never let you be blamed for everything that was my fault. It was my fault, Carly. All mine. I shouldn't have waited all these years for your twenty sixth birthday so we can finally fulfil our pact because who am I kidding? You're the most beautiful girl I've ever known and there's no doubt someone would find you before this moment."

"Freddie…"

"Let me finish, please."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye before I go. I'm sorry for all the pain my cowardness caused you. I was afraid that if I said goodbye, seeing you would just change my mind because I really didn't want to stay. I didn't want to attend your wedding day and watch your father give you away to someone who isn't me. I don't know if I can handle it. I'd die, Carly. And it would ruin everything for you."

…

_With a dozen tulips in hand, Nate knocked on her apartment that day to surprise his fiancée. He felt like he needed to thank her for coming to their own rehearsal dinner the night before and be the girl he loved even though that was one of the things a soon-to-bride should do. He was also hoping that he could ask her to come with him to his condo unit and have dinner with his family._

_As he heard the racing footsteps coming from the inside, his smile grew wide. _

"_Freddie!" A pair of arms was thrown around him, causing him to stumble a little before catching her in his arms. _

"_Baby?" _

_And that was when she realized that Freddie wasn't coming back. _

…

"I wanted to give you space. I know you were confused. You loved us both. And I didn't want you to choose between us. It was too much. So I chose for you." Freddie continued. "I didn't know that Nate called off the wedding that day until yesterday, when I gathered every courage I have in me to open my e-mail. I was fighting the urge not to when I was away. I knew you'd look for me. I knew Sam would contact me. And I was right. She told me the wedding was off and if I don't come back, I'll lose you forever. So I flew this morning."

Carly closed her eyes and remembered that day.

…

"_Do you really want to do this?" Nate asked her calmly. "Do you really want to marry me?"_

_They were both on her couch and Sam left them alone so they could talk. Carly couldn't look at him and worse, she couldn't answer his question. _

"_You know, most of the time, silence means yes." He joked but she could feel the hurt he was feeling. "But I think it may not be this time."_

_Carly could only look down and be ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry…"_

"_Do you love me?" _

_She nodded. She was so sure that she did._

"_But you're not in love with me."_

_She remained silent._

"_You're in love with him."_

_Carly looked at him and that's when the tears started to fall from her eyes uncontrollably. Nate felt the urge to punch something or someone at that particular moment. He wanted to hurt Carly as much as she was hurting him but he couldn't do it. Seeing Carly broken in front of him was already too much. He couldn't stand to see her cry and damaged. And that's how he proved to himself how much he loved her. _

"_I'll call off the wedding." He stated dryly. "I'll tell everyone that it was my decision, that I think we weren't just meant to be."_

"_No!" Carly exclaimed. "Tell them the truth. It's my fault, Nate. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for all the trouble, for everything!"_

_He just smiled at her. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to marry me in the first place. I just wanted you for myself, you know? I knew from the start that he wasn't just a friend. I saw how you cared for him. I saw how special he is for you. I even felt how much you love him but I thought ." He paused and took in all his words. "I think you're the only one who didn't see it then."_

_She couldn't speak._

"_So let's not make this harder. I guess I'll go." He leaned in to give her a kiss but hesitated. Without another word, Nate stood up from the couch and just as he was about to go out of her life forever, Carly ran to him and hugged him from behind._

"_Thank you." She cried. "I'll never forget you even if you're mad at me. You will always be special to me, Nate."_

_He turned around and gave her a simple goodbye kiss on the lips. "I love you so much, Carly. You're free."_

…

This time, Carly couldn't be stopped.

"I was going to call off the wedding the morning after, stupid! Even before Nate did! I watched you sleep that night as you hold me close and I realized that I would want to do that every night, that it was you I wanted to be with everyday for the rest of my life. But you're too stupid to see that it's not only you who has to fight for me. You're even more stupid for thinking that I wouldn't fight for you, for us! And I hate you for that, stupid!"

Freddie was getting tired of her calling him stupid so he did what he wanted to do.

He kissed her long and hard to shut her up and soon, Carly was kissing him back with as much passion and maybe more. They were both lost in their own world and at that moment, Freddie and Carly were so sure that nothing could ever come between them. All those years of being best friends that eventually led to something more came back to them as they shared the sweetest kiss as one now.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a tear escaping from her eyes and he kissed it before it falls on her cheek.

"I love you. I'm sorry."

She groaned. "Stop apologizing and just kiss me again."

"One on condition." Freddie grinned as he sat up straight on her bed and helped her do the same, her hands still around his neck. "No more calling me stupid."

Carly smiled. "Okay, Just shut up and kiss your fiancée then."

Freddie obeyed but before things could heat up, he retreated. "Girlfriend."

Carly frowned and unhooked her arms around his neck. Freddie felt a slight pang in his chest as she moved away from him. He never wanted to be away from her ever again but he had to do this…

"I've wanted you to be my girlfriend since I was eleven. I never got to call you that." He smiled as he reached for her again. "I promise, we'll get there. But for now, let's just enjoy and take things slowly. I love you with all my heart and I will never let anything tear us apart."

Her heart literally melted but her words told him otherwise. "If you ever leave me again, I'm going to run you over with our car!"

"You know, hearing someone say 'I'd die for you' is the sweetest thing ever." He giggled before giving her a peck on the lips as he hovered on top of her until her head reached her pillow. "But you…" he pinched her nose gently and she gave him the cutest smile ever. "You'd kill for me. Or kill me. Same thing. You must love me so much!"

They both laughed at how silly they were being. "I do."

"But there's just one tiny problem." she frowned at him. "I love you more, Carly."

She shook her head and giggled. "Wanna bet, Mr. Benson?"

"How about a pact?" he raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"I'm listening." She poked his nose. "What's the pact about this time?"

"Let's make a pact that we'll never stop loving each other until… forever."

"Deal." She couldn't be happier at that moment and nothing could ruin it. "Should we kiss on it?"

"Yes." He grinned. "Yes, we should."

* * *

**Well, this might be the last Author's Note I am going to write ever.**

**I just want to thank you all for reading and reviewing and for sending me and this story love even when I almost thought of abandoning this. I'm so sorry if it took me so long a couple of times to update, if it took a long time for Carly and Freddie to be together, if you felt like I've been dragging this story. But still, thank you guys. From the bottom of my heart. The overwhelming reviews and private messages sent to me were incredible and wonderful that I want to cry. Writing this story has been a major part of my life for the past 3 years and 4 months. WOW! **

**Seriously, you guys are the best. I hope you all love the ending of "THE PACT" as much as I loved writing it. I'm really sad that it's over now… but at least I can say that I still got to finish it. I lost some readers along the way but the response is still overwhelming. **

**I just remembered… I might revise the first chapters of this story. No major changes on the plot though. I'll just write everything in 3****rd**** person so it's not annoying and confusing for the new readers. **

**THAT'S IT! IT'S DONE. COMPLETED. FINISHED.**

**THANK YOU GUYS! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH I'M CRYING RIGHT NOW! **

**Until then…**

**-purpleheart10**


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